Revival of the Goddess Chronicles
by RenaissanceElf
Summary: The Goddess Minerva sees a new evil invading the world. The Black Mage is a huge problem, but a new terror has emerged and within the chaos, people around the world begin to doubt her power. Can the clerics, priests, and bishops of maple restore faith in their goddess to help rally the world against the black mage and this new threat?
1. A Divine Message

**CHAPTER 1  
A DIVINE MESSAGE**

As time continued on, the Black Mage gained in power bringing more minions and mutating more monsters into horribly powerful evil creatures. With the Cygnus Knights failing, the Explorers fighting back to the wall, the Resistance on the front lines fighting the Black Wings on their home front, and the heroes still appearing, the Goddess of Light Minerva had finally decided it was time she intervened. The Goddess Rhine was sealed away in a deep sleep running Minerva's list of allies thin. Minerva could see a new dark force approaching to the already delicate balance the world hung in.

The Goddess watched her children from her tower as hope grew dimmer. The heroes weren't appearing fast enough. Aran had been busy fighting hoards of the Black Mages minions while on a personal self-discovery quest, while Evan, still a child, was still dealing with a lot of skeptical adventurers doubting his abilities. His new dragon ally, both were fighting bravely on Victoria Island to help alleviate some of the burden off of the Explorers. The Dual Blades, the disenfranchised lot they were, were given a run for their money as well along with the leader and her entourage; but Lady Syl was finally coming to the conclusion after a long period of reflection and revelations that the Dark Lord wasn't so dark afterall. The Goddess continued her watch and finally summoned one of her loyal angels to go see Grendel the Old in Ellinia whom she deemed among her most loyal servants.

"The time has come for the Divine Light to openly oppose the darkness" she smiled benevolently.

"Tell Grendel what I have told you, and take this holy symbol to the church. The time has come for our Revival!" The Angel nodded his face in agreement taking the symbol and within an instant, he disappeared to make his journey to Ellinia. Minerva, watched as her servant disappeared against the dark skies and began to reflect on the upcoming battles ahead…

Swiftly the angel flew from the Goddess tower in Orbis at lightning speed, but little did he know that summoned demons of the netherworld were following at a distance. What seemed like an eternity to the average citizen of Victoria Island, took only but a couple minutes. Grendel the Old sat pouring over his books in his library, one in particular as he smoked his pipe. He chuckled to himself as he looked up and in a bright flash of light he sat face to face with one of the Goddesses angels.

"What do I owe this honor to be graced by such a divine presence?" The angel threw back his white hair and smiled benevolently.

"Our Goddess has decided that it was time to reveal the location of the Staff of Angels and the Sword of Judgment." Grendel's demeanor turned more serious realizing what he already knew, that the world of Maple's crisis was about to go from serious to dire.

"I've studied about those Holy Relics, the church has documents of them in the Catacombs of the Cathedral in Amoria" Grendel replied.

"Indeed, only a Holy Warrior-a Paladin and a member of the Clergy together can open the door to the catacombs beneath the cathedral" the angel spoke.

"The members of the Church must begin purging the darkness from the world and take some of the responsibility in balancing the scales...for right now we are in danger of an evil imbalance. How many of your pupils have decided to take the divine path?" the angel asked almost rhetorically.

"The numbers are dwindling...my elemental wizards are plenty, but my clerics" Grendel paused for a moment.

"I'm lucky to get one, maybe two out of twenty these days" Grendel nodded soberly realizing the statistics. There was a period of time Grendel had to take care of all the clerical duties in town. Usually as soon as a magician decided to follow the holy path of the Goddess and was deemed ready, there were demands from all over for their services and spiritual guidance. Between the three choices a magician had, choosing the path of a cleric was the most difficult. It not only required skill, but patience, graciousness, and most of all, faith. Whoever chose to travel this path would have to be devoted to helping others, and willing to spread light where darkness was most prevalent. Grendel had known a few clerics who never advanced beyond to be a priest or priestess because the responsibilities became exponentially more demanding; and some were either not willing or unable to meet the demand. Bishops were rare, extremely. During a major battle Grendel remembered four Bishops perishing in a fierce battle to protect a brigade of Paladins and Heroes. Grendel knew he could not sway his pupil's choices one way or another. It was true Ice/Lightning and Fire/Poison wizard too were in high demand, and the choice of magic study was a personal one; unlike himself who was a master of all three, a Sage!

"People are losing faith...this is not good Grendel" the angel nodded.

Grendel nodded and suddenly screams could be heard from outside.

"Heed me!" Grendel shouted as his staff flew to his hands and he quickly teleported outside of his study.

"Hey! Are you going to help us or what?! Balrogs are getting ready to attack us!" Wing snarled as a flock of Balrogs were heading from the direction of Orbis. The Fairies of Ellinia began to panic as did the beginning magicians as they scrambled trying to hide for cover. A group of Ice/Lightning and Fire/Poison Wizards were already preparing to fight. Only but a few Clerics remained in Ellinia as they were preparing to heal the injured and pray to their Goddess for her protection.

"The Black Mage sends his envoy" The angel said nonchalantly. All the stronger Mages and Arch Mages were scattered around Ossyria training and helping with the fight against the Black Mages minions all around the world.

"I see…" Grendel said preparing himself for battle. The angel pulled out a bright white bow with golden arrows. Wing flew above the Canopy of the Forest counting the Balrogs.

"OMG! There are too many!" he panicked. He quickly flew down. "Grendel! Th-th-there are countless Balrogs and a Crimson leader! Will our fairy magic and the magic of you and your students be enough to quell this invasion?!"

Grendel's calm demeanor didn't appease Wing as he fluttered around with his wand. "Calm down Wing, help is on the way..." Mar said calmly as she joined them.

"From where?!" Wing demanded unable to see Grendel's invisible divine guest. Only those truly pure of heart would be able to see divine beings, Mar was a pious fairy that ranked among the few.

"How many of our wizards has Luvar approved?" Grendel quickly asked Mar.

"I'm not sure, this past week a handfull passed. A couple Ice/Lightnings and a couple Fire/Poisons...surprisingly we had three clerics" Mar finished.

"Good...we'll need them today" Grendel closed his eyes gripping his staff tightly and quietly began chanting.


	2. Assault on Ellinia

**CHAPTER 2 - ASSAULT ON ELLINIA**

A score of Balrogs descended from above on the magical town with fangs barred, eyes glowing red, and flapping leathery wings. The frightened fairies except Mar and Wing hid inside their tree huts. One young woman dressed in white robes ran to Grendel and fell on her knees with her holy symbol in one hand and staff in another pleading to the Goddess for her protection. Then something happened which Grendel had only witnessed on one other occassion. within a moment she opened her eyes and saw an angelic being more pristine than any she had ever imagined.

"Thank you Goddess!" she exclaimed. Grendel regarded the young woman a bit surprised nodding his head.

The angel acknowledged her briefly and let three golden arrows fly in the air as the Balrogs began to descend on the village. Bright light blinded the denizens for a split second.

"NOW!" a woman's voice shouted.

Flame birded arrows flew from eight Fire/Poison Wizards, and seven of the Ice/Lightning Wizards sent swords of ice appearing stabbing at several of the Balrogs. Many small bolts of blue energy went flying from the various huts in the village along with the few brave magicians who stood their ground with the wizards attacking with their Arcane Claws. The Balrogs breathed fire to as many of the huts and the trees as they could; it was all happening so fast.

"Join us" the angel calmly commanded.

"Whoa! Where did YOU come from?!" Wing was startled as the angel revealed his self at last to everyone.

The young cleric stood up and summoned her holy bow and blasted a holy arrow of light at one of the foul creatures in the air. They were mildly damaging the Balrogs but it only seemed to infuriate them. Fire arrows and Cold Beams as ice daggers flew in the air at the beasts. They growled ferociously diving down at the wizards and magicians brave enough to try to defend Ellinia.

"We're going to die!" Wing cried. Mar suddenly used her abilities to split and became two. One of her took off flying as if she were trying to act as a decoy to help Grendel's students.

"Oh no you don't!" Grendel growled as a luminous blue buzzing ball of energy began growing in the palm of his hand, and his staff began glowing blue. Instantly chains of bright blue lightning began electrocuting seven Balrogs. They howled in pain as more began to fly at Grendel to avenge their comrades while the others remained stunned from shock. The Ice/Lightning Wizards who saw Grendel's spell work were amazed. Only a couple actually knew of the chain lightning spell.

The angel took out four arrows this time and shot them simultaneously piercing three Balrogs rushing towards them.

All of Grendel's students gawked in awe at the angel's power that the fairies had to yell at some of them to pay attention. Four more Balrogs were trying to attack his students and some of the fairies, but the angel's wings spread wide. He flew into the air as his whole body illuminated and turned into a white field of energy reflecting the curse back at the Balrogs. This gave all the students just enough time to take cover as Grendel's eyes began to turn bright red with fire; and without warning, portals above opened up releasing fires as hot as burning brimstone appear and instantly smash and scorch the four Balrogs that were trying to curse his students. As the Balrogs were recovering from the lightning attack, they recovered and regrouped with the remaining Balrogs. The armored crimson balrog turned his sites to Grendel and the angel.

Grendel prepared one last final spell, he threw his arms up and a massive tornado from above sucked the remaining Balrogs out of the town hurling them far into the sky. The surviving wounded Balrogs decided to retreat and made their escape. The young girl looked incredulously at Grendel amazed by his power. Arwen flew summoning Undine water spirits to put out the flames on the huts and trees.

"What spell was that?" one student asked.

"The second one was Meteor Swarm" one student answered

"Not that one, the last one" the other student clarified.

"I don't know, I've never seen or heard of such a spell before" another answered.

"Is everyone ok?" Mar asked.

"Oh I'm fine, I wasn't scared!" Wing said defiantly.

"Sure you weren't" the young cleric laughed.

The angel returned, "Wow! Where did you come from?! Orbis?!" Wing asked rudely.

"Hold your tongue! He's an angel, not a fairy!" the young cleric scolded.

"Gee, I'm sorry! Shesh…" Wing apologized sarcastically.

"Enough you two!" Grendel scolded.

"Amelia, get your sisters and brothers and heal the injured, Wing, you help her!"

"Thank you mr. angel..uh.." Amelia smiled. "I am called Novas" the angel smiled back as he and Grendel walked back into his cottage satisfied the damage had been kept to a minimal. Amelia stood there for a moment unable to forget the angelic face she had just seen.

"Are you coming?!" Wing shouted.


	3. To Six Path Crossways

**CHAPTER 3 – TO SIX PATH CROSSWAYS**

Amelia turned to walk away honored that the Goddess had revealed one of her servants to her. She realized at that moment only spiritual beings or beings of great magical power could see them; or in her case, those who follow the path of the Goddess she was taught. She ignored Wing's prideful boasting as she walked through the forest to join her sisters in brothers. There were several mages injured in the battle, but luckily none of the injuries were life threatening as Grendel and Novas the Angel were able to send those powerful Balrogs flying.

"It hurts!" one wizard cried.

"Give me moment... I need to see your arm" another young cleric replied.

"Oww!" he whined as the cleric said a brief prayer wearing her red moonlit robes waved her hand over his arm healing any injury.

"It feels better now!" he exclaimed stretching out his wand arm.

"Don't know where we would be without you clerics!" he smiled.

"Don't thank us, just thank the Goddess" she smiled.

"Amelia, can you help that other young man over there? I have to treat this other young girl here" Amelia noticed a young man probably in his early twenties with long red hair in a braid that cascaded the full length of his back. He was rubbing his foot with a strained look on his face.

"Hi there, where does it hurt?" Amelia asked casually.

"My ankle, I believe I sprained it trying to dodge one of the Balrogs' attacks" he pointed.

"Oh please Goddess... heal this brave wizard's wounds" she prayed waving her hand over his foot and in an instant a green glow seemed to make all of his pain vanish.

"Thank you!" he smiled gratefully. "You're welcome...Goddess Blessings" she started to walk away.

"Wait... where are the rest of your brethren?" he asked quizzically.

Amelia ran a hand through her blond hair and she regarded him with her bright blue eyes.

"There's a lot of reform going on in the church at the moment- that is all I can say..." Amelia turned away.

"You clerics, are mysterious lot" the young wizard shot.

"We do not question what our Goddess wants, we only follow her wishes" Amelia retorted.

The wizard got up to join Amelia, "The name is Jaster" he greeted. "I hope I didn't offend you- I didn't mean it like that"

"It's ok, but just know we take our vow to the Goddess very seriously, our job is our life" Amelia said quietly.

"Amelia, we need to finish our walk around the town and make sure no one else needs treatment" the other cleric waved.

"Yea come on, then we have to tend to our garden since we are the last clerics in town" another young man reminded.

"Jaster! You ok buddy?" Jaster turned around to see another wizard he had trained with most of his life. The young man was about the same age as Jaster with unkempt dark brown hair and blue eyes. His stature was like that of Jaster's tall and slender.

"Julien! Weren't you injured?" Jaster asked incredulously.

"Na, my mastery of the teleportation spell keeps me quite safe" he laughed.

"Does ice and lightning protect you well?" he laughed.

"About as well as fire and poison protects you there friend" Jaster countered.

"Maybe you should have become a cleric?" Julien joked.

"Maybe...then I'd be healing your ass" Jaster laughed. As the three clerics were walking away Amelia turned and regarded Julien with a slight aversion as they disappeared into town.

"Come on buddy, I'm tired after that, what do you say we make a trip to Kerning City and get a drink?" Julien prodded.

"Shouldn't we wait for the Elder's orders? Remember what he said yesterday?" Jaster reminded him.

"Yea, yea, yea...some new strange darkness... Black Mage! What else is new?" Julien rolled his eyes.

"I don't know Julien, something seems...different" Jaster said unable to put his finger on it.

"Don't tell me you're scared of some pigs, mushrooms, or slimes now?! Those things are fairly docile these days and if they attack- nothing that a few whacks with our wands or staves wouldn't take care of. We wouldn't even need to use magic for those annoyances!" Julien continued flippantly.

"Julien, you know what happened last time" Jaster reminded him again.

"Don't worry I have some scrolls we can use that can teleport us their instantly" Julien said pulling out a pair of Kerning City scrolls and Ellinian scrolls.

"I should have known..." Jaster trailed off. "Fine, but let's not stay long, I feel like something is going to happen soon" Jaster said with some foreboding.

"I'm sure it will, but I'm not living under a shell in for the time being, come on!" he said handing Jaster a scroll. Within a few seconds they disappeared in a small burst of light.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

After a long day of tending to the wounded and the garden, Amelia and her companions sat down in their hut up in the trees. All three of the young clerics were exhausted.

"You know, I would have never thought we would be the final clerics in Ellinia; after all, the elder trained us in the divine path" Kara, the red headed cleric said perplexed. Kara was twenty-one winters old and had grown up in Ellinia ever since she was a little girl with her parents deep in the forest, but had also spent a lot of time at the chapel helping Father Shober with some other youths.

The other cleric was a young man of about nineteen summers with black hair and brown eyes. He was a short but stout young man.

"Perhaps the Elder knew what has going to happen" Mason replied.

"But who would have thought that, Amoria Cathedral of all places would have some of the most powerful holy relics!" Kara went on.

"I know, the Arch Bishop or the High Priest there has done nothing but do weddings, which there is nothing wrong with that, but you'd think that someone with that much favor from the Goddess would be out doing vast miracles" Mason said with conviction.

"I have heard word from my friend, who just moved to Amoria not long ago, has told me that Amoria is slowly turning into a place with more intrigue" Amelia informed them.

"What kind of intrigue?" Kara demanded.

"I'm not sure really... but a lot of strange folk have been sneaking around the town" Amelia said sitting in her well cushioned mat. "Well, I'm happy right here, and could care less if I ever leave Ellina..." Kara trailed off.

"Even if our Goddess wills it so?" Amelia asked seriously.

"Of course, our Goddess' will comes first, I haven't forgot my vow" Kara replied strongly. A knock on their door startled the three of them.

"Yes?" Mason asked cracking open the door.

"The Elder wishes to see the three of you" a young teenage boy spoke more than likely a beginning magician. All three walked over to the shrine of the Goddess touching it quickly before it before leaving.

"Why does the Elder wish to see us?" Amelia asked the young magician.

"I don't know, I'm only the messenger" the young teen responded wearing a light blue robe that covered his small frame.

The moonlight shone through the canopy of the trees as the glow from the many pixie lights that floated all over Ellinia shed. As they walked to one of the biggest houses in Ellinia, the Elder greeted them at the door already expecting them.

"Come we have much to discuss and very little time" Everyone entered taking a seat in Grendel's study.

Grendel reappeared in front of them, "I'm going to be brief because time is of the essence. Amelia, you will be taking this young magician on a journey with to Perion" he paused and smiled. "He is one of my most gifted prodigies" he chuckled.

"You two will be going to Lith Harbor to investigate a horrid finding, they've requested some clerics" he paused again.

"Why Lith Harbor?" Kara asked with some surprise. "Don't we have a chapter of brother and sisterhood over there?"

Grendel remained calm, "Only one Priest remains there while all of his disciples have went to Orbis and El Nath to go train to become Priests themselves, and Father Shober will tell you the rest when you arrive there" he finished. Kara was confused knowing Father Shober, a very pious and powerful priest.

"As for you Amelia, you will be escorting young Jeremy to go see Dances with Balrogs and there you will be instructed for what else must be done" Grendel paused to pull out a long thin silver looking pipe.

"I will have two of my wizards accompany you through your travels" as Grendel said this Jaster walked out of Grendel's study with a mug of hot cider.

"Who will I be traveling with Master?" Jaster asked.

"You will be traveling with Sister Amelia and young master Jeremy. Where's Julien?" Grendel finished looking behind Jaster.

"Oh umm.. he's still sleeping" Jaster laughed.

"This is no time to be playing, go wake him" Grendel sounded annoyed.

"As you wish master" Jaster disappeared into one of the study rooms.

Jaster saw Julien sprawled over the coach snoring with his tail wand still in his hand.

"Julien, the master has summoned us, we must not keep him waiting" he nudged Julien but he didn't respond.

"Ok you leave me no choice" Jaster said taking the tip of his tail wand and touching the end of it on the tip of Julien's nose.

"Aaahhhh! That's cold!" Julien jumped up. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" he said dragging behind Jaster.

As they stumbled down the spiral case of stairs, Jaster, trying to keep Julien from tripping all over himself, walked carefully in front of Julien. Grendel shook his head in disappointment.

"Drinking again?" he scoffed. "Pull yourself together Julien, I need you to accompany Brother Mason and Sister Kara here to Lith Harbor, they will inform you of what you need to know."

Kara regarded Julien with a little concern. "Don't worry, Julien is one of my best Fire/Poison Wizards, his magic will be of great help- but yes he seems to be a fool but is very good at what he does" Grendel assured.

"Ok..." Kara rolled her eyes.

"So when do we leave?" Mason asked curiously.

"Tonight!" Grendel said with a finality in his voice.

"Oh, so soon?" Julien whined.

"Yes, all of what you students need for each of your party has already been prepared at the door for you. "I have to return to my study and take care of matters of up most importance." Grendel said mysteriously vanishing into thin air.


	4. The Journey Begins

**CHAPTER 4 – THE JOURNEY BEGINS**

When Grendel disappeared, everyone knew he usually returned to his huge library as he constantly poured over books. He had also been known to travel across the world for ritual and spell components. El Nath and the Forest of the Priests in Leafre were places he would go to on a regular basis so he could check up on how well his pupils have been progressing. Grendel had always been a sentimental one, but didn't show it pubicly much.

"He has a way of making exits" Mason commented.

"Of course he does! He's an all mighty Sage—hoc cup!" Julien bellowed.

"Hey Jaster, you sure we can't talk you into coming with us instead?" Kara smiled acting as if she was joking.

"You will have to take the Elder up on that one Kara, I guess he put us in our trios for his own reasons" Jaster shook his head.

Kara sighed in resignation as Julien was slowly beginning to sober. Jeremy walked quietly to the door and picked up a small sack that belonged to Jaster, Amelia, and himself. "The Elder helped me prepare the magic sacks for all the provisions we will need" he smiled.

"How old are you again?" Amelia asked him. Jeremy stood there with his glasses and wide green eyes trying to hide his excitement. He  
brushed his sandy blond hair out of his face.

"I just turned 15" he replied. Jeremy was a small boy standing only five feet and one inch in size.

"Where are you from Jeremy?" Jaster asked as Julien slowly walked over to pick up his group's sack.

"Perion sir" Jeremy answered as Mason regarded him jokingly.

"Why didn't you want to become a warrior?" he almost laughed.

"Umm..I.." he started but was cut off by Kara. "Mason, be nice!"

"I'm sorry kid, I'm from Perion too...and you see I'm not a warrior, but I could have been" Mason commented.

"Hey now, The Elder did say that he was a prodigy!" Julien put his two cents in.

"So you going to be a Fire/Poison Wizard when the time comes right?" he added.

"No sir" the young magician shook his head.

"Aw, come on, Fire/Poison Wizards are more powerful than…" Julien started to say.

"Now just a darn minute, he will be an Ice/Lightning Wizard, won't you Jeremy?" Jaster cut in.

"No sir" he nodded again.

"He's going to be a cleric!" Mason chided.

"Actually… no" he smiled.

"Wait a minute, if you're not going to follow the Divine Path and take the sacred vow, are you just satisfied with being a simple magician?!" Mason demanded.

"I cannot say at the moment…" he trailed off.

"Ok I think we've hounded him enough, he'll figure it out when the time comes. We need to get going if we are going to make it to our destinations tonight" Amelia stepped in like a moderator.

"Where are we meeting up at after we are finished?" Kara inquired.

"I guess we can just return here and report back to the Elder until further notice?" Amelia guessed.

"Sounds good enough to me, I'm ready!" Julien laughed.

"It's going to be a long night!" Kara rolled her eyes.

"Well we can all travel together until we reach Six Crossings" Amelia reminded them.

As they quietly were leaving Ellinia into the forest, The Wizard Watch waved to them as they faded into the night.

"These forests, have been my stomping ground for years, Julien said nostalgically.

"Yea, I remember before the Black Mage began causing things to change around causing earthquakes, and irregular weather patterns. Just before  
all of that when we were just teens. I remember how in the forest we used to train with those green capped mushrooms, and how I came to your rescue more than once" Jaster remembered.

"I came to YOUR rescue too buddy, don't forget!" Julien reminded.

"Before The Big Bang, things were much different" Mason added.

"You guys and your adventures" Kara rolled her eyes again.

"Nothing impresses you does it?" Julien accused.

"A bit of modesty might suit you a bit" she said nonchalantly.

"I had heard how the two of you were so competitive" Amelia recalled some gossip.

"I think our most memorable time was whenever you guys finally reached your time to choose your path of magical studies. Life was easy as a studious magician, we had a lot more free time. Not long after we chose, I remember an event with a bunch of other students from different branches traveling all the way to Orbis for more training and celebration" Amelia continued.

"Yes! Spiegelman's monster carnival was a rush!" Julien almost shouted with excitement.

"Not too fond of those Rombots..." Jaster commented remembering how during a simulation he was almost crushed, even if it was only fake.

They were almost out of Ellinia forest without incident until they were all brought back to the present moment as they heard a quick buzzing noise and a rustle of tree limbs.

"What was that?!" Kara said taking out her Old Staff. As seasoned adventurers, everyone drew out their wands, staves, and Mason with his enchanted jeweled mace. Jaster and Julien pulled out their Fairy Wands they both had won at the Monster Carnival. Amelia had a Sapphire Staff she was given by another sister who had left to go to El Nath to become a Priestess.

"Who goes there!" Jaster shouted as they formed a circle around Jeremy. He too took out his Hardwood Wand preparing a spell for battle.

"No, don't attack!" a muffled voice shouted.

"What?" the group almost yelled in unison, and at that moment Wing came out from the bushes.

"What are you doing Wing?" Amelia asked incredulously.

"Um, I just wanted to get out of town for a bit and see what it is you humans do on your adventures" he explained nervously.

"Are you sure that's it?" Amelia asked suspiciously.

"Yea Wing, you haven't been known for your generosity" Jaster added.

"Well, can I not do something fun for a change without everyone questioning my motives?" he accused.

"Fine..." Amelia said shaking her head.

"Who are you planning on traveling with?" she narrowed her eyes not being too fond of Wing.

"Come on, guys I want to get to Lith Harbor sometime tonight!" Kara complained.

Everyone continued walking at quicker pace.

"Well Wing? Answer my question" Amelia pressed.

"You're not coming with us" Kara said blatantly.

"Fine, I will travel with wherever Master Jeremy travels" he said flatly gliding along.

"Great, as if we didn't have enough burden already" Amelia threw her hands up.

"I won't get in the way" Wing said in defense.

As they were arguing Jeremy noticed something up ahead. "Um guys, what are those red lights up ahead?"

"What are you talking about?" Julien asked with skepticism.

"No!" Amelia stopped suddenly changing her demeanor.

"You sense it too?" Kara asked suddenly taking out her Old Staff again.

"Yes, there is some evil afoot" Mason whispered.

Jeremy turned around just in time to see Julien getting attacked by an unknown assailant, "Master Julien! Watch out!"

"Shit!" he gasped teleporting himself just in time to avoid being bitten. After he reappeared seven feet ahea to his surprise he saw an orange mushroom with glowing red eyes and fangs!

"Whoa! I don't ever remember these guys inhabiting these woods!" Julien exclaimed.

"So you still want to fight them without magic?" Jaster held out his wand in front of him defensively.

More of them seemed to appear out of thin air. The three clerics saw slimes with red glowing eyes as well; but something else seemed different  
about them as they bounced aggressively.

"We're surrounded!" Kara pointed as they formed another circle around Jeremy once again.

"Don't be afraid Jeremy" Amelia consoled him as he was visibly trembling holding out his wand.

"Now is not the time to be wet nursing- FLAME BIRD COME FORTH!" Julien shouted summoning a flame arrow at one of the fanged mushrooms knocking it back scorching it. Julien raised and eyebrow and summoned two more flamebird arrows incinerating it to ashes. At that moment, a slime quickly bounced at Julien to pounce him.

"Oh Goddess! Smite this Evil!" Amelia shouted summoning her Holy Arrows piercing through the slime as it fell to the forest floor sizzling from its evil turning into a puddle of acid.

Amelia's eyes grew big, "Don't let the slimes touch you! They are of acid!" shewarned.

Kara summoned her Holy Bow and fired three more arrows ahead each makinga mark as seven fanged orange mushrooms came galloping towards them for a bite.

"We could use a warrior right now!" Kara shouted.

The mushrooms were advancing a lot more quick than Kara and Mason had anticipated; and, before they knew it they were on them.

Kara was nearly bitten but instead knocked to the ground by the sheer force of the mushroom hitting her. Mason fared better but was knocked  
back but suffered a small nip on his shoulder as he tried to dodge. He quickly reacted batting the fanged mushroom in the face as it prepared to spring back at him.

"Oh no you don't!" Mason growled coming down with a hard blow right between its evil eyes knocking it unconscious.

As the assault continued, reinforcements showed up.

"Great!" Jaster said sarcastically as more fanged mushrooms came rustling out of thebushes.

"Bless us Goddess!" Amelia prayed holding her staff in front of her tofend off the mushrooms.

Mason summoned the Goddess protection as well did Kara.

"Julien, cover me while I increase our powers!" Jaster said meditating.

"FlameBird! Incinerate these creatures!" Julien shouted again firing a fire arrow incinerating three more mushrooms.

"No!" Jeremy screamed as a slime fell out of a tree hitting him once on his shoulder doing some acidic damage.

"I don't remember slimes ever been acidic!" Kara gasped.

He winced in pain but bravely blasted a blue bolt of energy knocking the slime several feet away from him. Wing noticed above the slimes were preparing an aerial assault.

"Hey humans! Above you!" he warned as a slime jumped at him barely missing.

He deftly shot a green ball of force knocking the slime into the ground to be absorbed, after that he became invisible. Just as Wing disappeared numerous acidic slimes fell out of the tree burning skin and clothing off everyone.

"Jaster!" Julien growled in pain. Jaster being hit with a glop of acid himself, summoned all his will.

"Die creatures of darkness! Powers of the sky electrify!" he screamed waving his wand summoning several blue orbs which quickly discharged brilliant blue bolts of lightning electrocuting the life out of many of the slimes.

"Goddess heal our wounds!" Amelia shouted as light green energy surrounded her companions slowly healing the damage the acid had done to them. Kara and Mason were too busy fighting off acidic slimes and fanged mushrooms that were flanking them. Jeremy, in an effort to try to be brave summoned his magic claw flailing his wand attacking two of the slimes bouncing on the ground repeatedly knocking them back and slowing them down. Julien summoned more fire arrows catching the rest of them on fire.

"Souls of cold bring shards of ice upon them!" Jaster cried out summoning his beams of cold like ice daggers stabbing spreading pure cold freezing the remaining  
mushrooms. After they were done, they have slain twenty-one green acidic slimes and fifteen fanged orange mushrooms.

"What was that?!" Wing demanded.

"Maybe if you would have stuck around and helped us out a bit more you would know!" Kara shot at him.

"Hey, I didn't see you killing that many!" Wing retorted.

"Stop you two!" Amelia shouted. "Now is not the time to be arguing, we will discuss what happened later, right now we need to get moving before more of those things attack us!"

Mason continued checking everyone else's wounds healing anything that Amelia may have missed.

"Amelia is right, we need to heal finish healing our wounds and anyone who needs a mana vial needs to drink one" Jaster said sagely.

Shaken up a bit the companions each took a small mana vial out their sacks and continued.

"I've never seen these monsters before" Jaster whispered to Amelia as they led the way.

"I haven't either, this is the power of a great evil that's corrupting the beings of the creatures of the forest and twisting their nature" Amelia explained.

"Do you think the Black Mage is behind this?" Jeremy asked walking just a step behind them.

"I don't know, it's too soon to tell" Jaster answered.

They moved silently and quickly until they finally reached Six Path Crossways where they would part ways. Jaster looked at the path they would take into the mountainous Perion hoping and praying that any other creatures they may encounter weren't experiencing this dark energy that seemed to be permeating in this area.


	5. Dark Tidings

**CHAPTER 5 – DARK TIDINGS **

The rest of the journey to Path to Six Crossways, no one said a word. Within thirty minutes, they arrived at the huge Maple Tree that grew on top of a hill. It grew out of the chaos in response to the Big Bang to protect Victoria Island. For an instant they gazed at the majestic tree that was the size of a redwood, its branches almost as big as a regular sized tree and foliage that would shield any traveler from any kind of precipitation that would fall. There were six roads that led to different respective towns on the island thus the name Six Path Crossways.

"Ok guys, let's meet up here within three days from now which will be Friday" Amelia announced. "What if something happens we shouldn't make it?" Mason asked.

"Then go straight back to Ellinia and wait for the rest of us there" Amelia finished.

"So what in Goddess' name were those creatures back in Ellinia's forest?" Wing demanded.

"I don't know, never seen them before" Jaster answered a bit puzzled.

"I do know they reeked of dark energy" Kara replied.

"Agreed, it seems that something or someone had twisted their being to the core" Amelia nodded.

"They were almost ten times more powerful than their normal counterparts" Julien spoke up.

"I wonder who would do such a thing? Sometimes they are even friendly" Jeremy asked.

"The Black Mage is probably pulling the puppet strings from afar, but the direct source is a mystery" Mason said inspecting his robes.

"The longer we tarry, the more chance for encounter with such things" Kara pointed out.

"Splitting up doesn't seem like a good idea" Wing added.

"We have no choice, we have two different objectives and not much time from what I gathered from the urgent sound in the Elder's voice" Julien explained.

Jeremy noticed another path that went deeper into the heart of Victoria Island that looked more dark and sinister, "Where does that go?"

"That's Sleepywood, it's a cursed forest. Deep in the Ant Hill Caverns a powerful demon is sealed away" Kara informed him.

"I know that, I just didn't realize that was Sleepywood, I have never been there before" Jeremy stood entranced with that path.

"Only advanced adventurers go there to train on this island. The town's population is very small and you can figure out why really quick" Julien continued.

"Yea Julien, don't make any detours to Kerning City" Jaster laughed.

"Don't worry, I will follow what the Elder said" he smiled.

"Why do I get the feeling he's not telling the truth!" Wing accused.

"Shut up fairy!" Julien snapped.

"Our journey will be shorter walking towards the coast to Lith Harbor" Julien laughed.

"You guys should make it there within an hour or two at most if you don't run into any other problems" Jaster continued.

"Don't jinx us man!" Julien pointed.

"Would you be quiet already?" Kara scolded re tying her long read hair back.

"Be safe sister, brother" Amelia embraced Kara and Mason.

"You too sister…" Kara whispered.

"Take care of our sister Jaster" Mason spoke up.

"Don't worry, I have plenty of helpers" he smiled pointing to Jeremy and Wing.

"That makes me feel much better" Julien muttered under his breath sarcastically.

"Take care dude, I'll get our holy friends to Lith Harbor without incident" Julien waved as they began walking down the road towards Lith Harbor. Jaster and Amelia looked in the northeastern direction of the mountain range where Perion was located.

"I've never been outside Ellinia but once to Henesys, so how long will it take us?" Wing asked.

"It took me and my parents almost a half days journey from the Henesys market place" Jeremy answered. Wing sighed dropping his arms down as he continued gliding forward. At night, the road towards Perion seemed a bit more intimidating as it seemed to disappear. It began to ascend a few miles ahead.

"Well if keep up our pace we should be able to make it there just before daybreak" Jaster prompted. "Right" Amelia smiled as they faded into the night.

**XXXXXXXXX**

The night sky seemed a bit more peaceful as the trio walked further out into the open. The few clouds that lingered allowed the full moon to shine brightly upon them. A few other travelers were passing them by acknowledging them with only a nod. People seemed so suspicious of each other these days. The temperature dropped only slightly with only a small bite in the air.

"So you've been to Sleepywood before?" Mason inquired. Julien was so lost in thought that he responded only after Mason repeated the question.

"Sorry, yes, I have…" he trailed off.

"Well what was it like?" Mason quickly asked.

"What do you mean?" Julien seemed a bit confused.

"You said you trained there before, how far into the caverns did you explore?" Mason clarified.

"Oh, that… haven't you been into the caverns before?" Julien questioned.

"No, unfortunately not" Mason admitted.

"Twice, but it was mating season for the drakes and they were much more aggressive than usual, both times-I went so our adventure was stopped a little short" Julien seemed disappointed.

"Well who did you go with?" Mason seemed a bit disappointed too.

"First time I ventured with one of Cygnus' Blaze Wizards and Thunder Breakers, but the three of us were not properly trained to deal with Drakes. The last time I was asked by a warrior and a couple rogues that were hunting for dragon scales for quick profit. It ended up in disaster. We all nearly died, luckily a brave Page happened to be nearby and came to our rescue" Julien shared his tale.

"It sounded like your companions were biting off more than they could chew" Mason commented. Kara walked quietly listening.

"Luckily, I had trained some as a warrior awhile back, so I have some skill with a mace which is what kept me from dying on an adventure deep in Perion" Mason shared.

"Why didn't you just train to become a Page?" Julien asked the obvious question.

"I had a trainer back in Perion whom I just could not get along with at all." Mason sighed.

"So you let him win and you became a cleric?" Julien concluded for him.

"Make no mistake, I have no regrets, I still train with my mace and other warriors when time permits" Mason added putting his hand on the hilt of his jeweled mace.

"Admirable, I don't know if studying as a cleric is much different than studying one of the other magical disciplines, but I study so much and train at it hard that by the time I'm done, I just want to chill" Julien replied.

"Ew! I really wished the folk of Lith Harbor would take care of their snail problem" Kara complained as she stepped in a small trail of slime.

"Wow, looks like someone has been busy" Mason observed the many empty snail shells lying around.

"Probably some bored kids just looking for some adventure" Julien laughed.

"Or maybe poor folk trying to earn a living collecting shells" Kara corrected.

"If that's the case, then why are there many shells lying around?" Mason pointed out.

"They aren't worth a whole lot" Kara sighed.

"Did you come from a poor family?" Julien asked bluntly.

Kara gasped in outrage almost but stifled her temper, "That's none of your business" she replied flatly.

Thirty minutes passes as they quietly continued on until they were finally able to see the ocean as the moon glimmered on the surface.

"Now that's something I can appreciate" Kara smiled but that moment was short lived when she stepped in another snail trail again.

"Ugh! My shoes aren't going to be worth a darn if this keeps up!" Kara complained.

"You're not the only one stepping in it" Mason added. He looked up ahead and noticed that a group of snails were getting ready to cross the road in the distance.

"Looks like we may need to go off the road to avoid a slimy mess" Mason said for Kara's benefit. As they walked in the grass they noticed the snails were slowly turning back their direction.

"Huh? It's not like snails to pursue trouble" Julien said suspiciously. Without warning the snails began launching themselves at them.

"Now THIS is weird" Mason said pulling out his jeweled mace. Several more flew at them as one grazed Julien's elbow.

"Damnit! Ok I've had it…FLAME BIRD! COME FORTH!" Julien pulled out his wand and summoned Flaming bird-like arrows that zipped through the air leaving a trail of flame igniting four red and blue shelled snails. Julien got popped again in the leg this time sending a stinging sensation throughout his body. As Kara was summoning her holy arrows she too got popped in the stomach knocking the wind out of her.

"I get it!" Mason laughed preparing his jeweled mace as if he were going to hit a baseball. Six more snails began flying at him.

"Batter up!" he swung his mace and knocked one snail sending it flying far towards the beach cracking its shell. More snails were flying from both directions as one hit him in the back.

"AAHHHH!" he shouted charging at a small group of snails with his mace bashing two in one swing. Another hit on the side of his head stunning him. More snails were coming, but luckily Julien recovered attacking with blasts of green vile poison which seemed to slow the snails down.

"We got to get out of here, *COUGH*" Kara shouted grabbing Mason's arm dragging him along. As they were trying to rush through a gauntlet of snails assailing them from different directions, Kara pointed her staff ahead. While she was running, she swung her staff in a crescent form leaving a bright pink aura trail as three snails were attacked by unseen claws cracking each of their shells. Mason just kept moving with Kara holding his mace up defensively.

"Still using those good ole magician attacks huh" Julien laughed as they ran.

"Keep moving!" Kara replied annoyed. As they rushed forward, fewer and fewer shells flew as they were finally in site of the town walls.

"I think we out ran them" Kara breathed heavily.

"Sorry about back there" Mason apologized. Kara held her hands up to Mason's forehead flowing with green energy as his little bloody wound disappeared.

"Thanks, but I still have a headache. I'm ready for a good night's rest" he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Agreed" Kara nodded.

"So, where exactly are we going?" Julien asked curiously. "There is a small Chapel, Brother Shober should be meditating at this hour" Kara replied.

"I would be sleeping" Julien muttered.

"Those snails were strong!" Mason exclaimed.

"You're just now noticing that?" Kara laughed.

As they finally walked up to the town walls they were greeted by watchmen.

"What are you doing here at this late hour?" one older guard asked dressed wearing simple chain mail holding a spear in one hand with a buckler strapped on his back.

"We're here with official business from the Elder of Ellinia, we need to see Brother Shober" Kara announced. The guards regarded them suspiciously but the older guard waved his hand.

"You may pass, but watch yourself" he warned.

"Thanks, I think…" Kara mumbled to herself.

"I wonder what they could be speaking of" Mason said looking around. The town was fairly large and white villa looking houses with blue roofs were scattered in various places. The town was lit with lantern lights among the streets and some that used generators for power among some of the nicer homes.

"I forgot how big this town was, it's been awhile since I've been here" Julien yawned.

Only a couple of town folk and city watch were out this late at night. The once bustling harbor only had a few ships docked. Burdened with exhaust, the trio rushed to the small chapel.

"Here it is" Kara sighed in relief. The chapel was an old stone building with a small statue of the Goddess in a belfry. The building looked like it had been neglected a long time as the stones were weathered and the wood on the door was dried out.

"I hope they have beds for us" Julien commented.

"This isn't an inn…" Kara stated flatly.

"They have beds I'm sure…" Mason said putting up his hand stopping another argument before it started. Kara walked to the door and banged the knocker against the door three times. The only window was a stained glass circle of different symmetrical shapes. No one answered. Kara knocked three more times and still no answer.

"Maybe he's sleeping it is a bit late" Julien surmised.

"No, I'm not…" a deeper voice responded startling the three out of any exhaustion replaced with adrenaline. They turned around to see a robed man in white and purple robes and a staff walk up to the door.

"Father Shober, it is good to see you again!" Kara smiled as Father Shober opened the door he realized who she was.

"Kara, welcome back!" he seemed to come to life. "Come in, come in…" They walked inside the dimly lit chapel. A few candelabras were lit each holding seven candles. There were about ten rows of pews and stained glass windows depicting a picture of the Goddess. The floor was hard stone and a small alter with a shrine at the front of the chapel were all that could be seen well in the dim light. Father Shober led them through a small door that led to the back of the chapel. A small pantry, a couple of bedrooms and Father Shober's office were clustered in the back. Each room was very small.

"When I sent for other clergy, I didn't realize it would be you Kara" Father Shober explained as he lit a lamp, revealing more detail of their environment.

"Our Elder said it was very important" Mason added wanting to hear what the reason for their summoning. Julien sat quietly in one of the wooden chairs with his arms folded.

"Well, murders have been happening and shortly after their buried, their body is nowhere to be found" Shober said in a serious tone. His dark hair was cut short as the lights in the room reflected from his dark eyes. He stood just a couple inches taller than Julien but was stocky like Mason. He was a middle aged man in his mid-forties.

"So you think we are dealing with a necromancer?" Kara guessed.

"No… a vampire" he replied gravely. Julien's eyes grew wide and goosebumps began forming all over Mason.

"Vampire? I didn't know they were still around" Julien dropped his jaw, Father Shober nodded sadly.

"Well it's late, I can tell all of you are weary with sleep, we will discuss more tomorrow. Kara you take your favorite room you used to study in. You boys can have the guest room. There are bed rolls, this isn't an inn but we will share what we have" he smiled.

Julien and Mason were still digesting what they heard to even ask any more questions as Kara led them to their room.

"Please try to behave, you are in the house of the Goddess" Kara reminded. Julien was too tired to protest, it was only a few hours before sunrise. Kara walked back to her old study room. Memories began flooding her mind. She changed into an old oversized night gown she used to sleep in. It was still oversized. She still had items in here she had from over five years ago. The small plump bed in the corner was just below a small stained glass window with an angel above it. The wardrobe still had clothes from her childhood when she stayed with other girls doing Goddess studies.

The sudden nostalgia gave her a sense of security as she curled up in bed and hid under the fluffy quilt. She said a prayer to the Goddess asking for Amelia's and her sister's companions' safety. Even with all of these nice thoughts, she suddenly wondered why Father Shober was out so late? Then she dismissed it thinking that it really was none of her business. Thoughts flashed through all their minds until sleep overcame them.


	6. Flight to Perion

**CHAPTER – 6 FLIGHT TO PERION**

Amelia and Jaster walked abreast with Jeremy in between as Wing flew above them a several yards in front scouting ahead. The cool air was setting in as they began down the path after Kara, Mason, and Julien disappeared into the night. Jaster had his wand out the whole time constantly pointing it with a spell at ready at the first sign of trouble. Amelia seemed to be gripping her staff so hard that Jeremy thought she may break it in half. Wing too seemed awfully quiet looking ahead becoming invisible at times leaving them in the dark as he would scout ahead.

Many things in the night drew scrutiny from everyone in the group. The young magician stared down the empty path that led to Sleepywood. The trail led down into a dark ominous hallow overshadowed by Hemlocks, Pines, Sycamores, Oaks, and Bamboo. A slight draft could be felt blowing across the way as they passed. Not many people ventured to Sleepywood these days as merchants were constantly in need of mercenaries or adventurers to protect them from powerful creatures. The more he stared down the empty path, the more his eyes began playing tricks on him. He wasn't sure if he was just imagining things or if what he had seen was real.

"What are you staring at" Wing asked with a hint of absurdity in his voice suddenly appearing next to Jeremy.

Jeremy jumped as his heart almost skipped a beat. "Um… nothing" he quickly regained his composure.

"You're going to have to be braver than that kid if you want to be known as an adventurer" Wing criticized.

"Maybe you should practice what you preach" Jaster pointed out calmly.

"Of course I'm brave" Wing boasted.

"Disappearing back there when we needed your help wasn't very brave" Jaster shook his head.

"You guys, you and your bravery" Amelia laughed handing Jaster her staff putting her hair up using a clip as they walked.

"It's not like you're a warrior" Wing smiled zipping around to Amelia's left side.

"If I had to use a weapon, I could manage" Jaster said evenly.

"Sure…" Wing mocked.

"Has anyone ever told you that you are one insufferable brat?" Jaster retorted with much annoyance.

Wing looked at him with confusion. "What's that mean?"

"Never mind…" Jaster rolled his eyes.

"Knock it off you two, if there is anything out here they will hear us a mile away" Amelia cut in.

While they continued back and forth, their voices seemed to be tuned out from his ears. Jeremy's eyes were drawn back towards the hollow that led deep into Sleepywood. They were at least a few hundred feet away, and the only light they had was the full moon shining down upon them. The moonlight seemed to be barely illuminating the way towards Sleepywood. The hollow appeared to be like a black hole that would suck up any light that would show the way. Jeremy squinted once or twice and began walking backwards as they continued.

"At least I don't try to have others do my homework for me" Jaster laughed and noticed Jeremy walking backwards until he stopped as the color faded from his skin and his eyes were widened in horror as his mouth was opened wide as if he were going to scream.

"Jeremy?" Jaster's smile gave way to a perplexed look. He slowly continued moving backwards as a look of terror was etched on his face.

"Jeremy!" Amelia looked back in the direction he was staring.

"What did I tell you kid?" Wing continued on his rant but the smirk was wiped clean off his face.

"AAIIIEEEEE!" the fairy screamed.

"Wing! Hush!" Amelia scolded. Wing did a one eighty degree turn and flew as fast as his wings could carry him.

"Wing! You coward! Get back here!" Jaster yelled. Jaster and Amelia finally saw what it was that had the young magician terrified.

A hundred yards back, deep in the hollow towards sleepy wood, a monstrosity on four legs and red glowing eyes popped out of the darkness standing on the path growling ferociously behind them.

"What is that thing?!" Amelia said grabbing Jeremy by his left wrist.

"I don't know but we're not staying to find out, let's get the hell out of here!" Jaster said pushing them both the opposite way. They turned to run as quick as they could.

"They're coming for us!" Jeremy cried as they ran.

"Who?" Amelia demanded at they ran. Jeremy could not respond as he was focusing all of his energy into his legs. Jaster pulled out his wand as they ran blasting cold beamed ice daggers at it. Only one of the ten blasts that he threw actually hit, but the creature just shrugged it off.

"How could this be? No creature that lives in this area can resist my most powerful spell?!" he thought to himself. Jaster's heart sank as he knew it was only going to be no more than a minute before the beast would be on them. Suddenly a familiar humming noise hit his ears.

"Wing?" Jaster muttered as his stamina was fading.

"Jaster let's use our teleport magic- I can't keep running -for too much longer" Amelia panted. To Jaster's surprise, both Amelia and Jeremy disappeared before his eyes and reappeared several feet ahead. Jaster was surprised knowing magicians were not capable of teleporting themselves, that was only learned once you became a wizard. Amelia was able to teleport both herself and Jeremy. He'd never known a wizard or a cleric to be able to successfully pull off such a feat.

"Use your magic you fool!" a familiar whisper buzzed in his ear. Jaster finally understood what was happening and he summoned all of his magical might to teleport himself quickly and further away from the beast. Jaster watched as Amelia and Jeremy were still running and were shifting further ahead than his own spell. Jaster glanced back feeling fatigued, but knew that letting fatigue overtake him was not an option.

The path into the foothills into the crags was only a hundred yards ahead. Jaster looked back behind them as the creature stopped momentarily a bit disoriented seemingly.

Jaster's heart rose, "Keep teleporting guys, he can't see us!" Jaster whispered hoping Amelia and Jeremy were with him.

For a few minutes they continued teleporting closer and closer to the foothills until they could teleport no more. Jaster mustered all of his physical strength to start up the rocky path towards Perion.

"Guys, are you here?" he whispered almost desperately.

"We're right behind you" he heard Amelia's voice.

A huge burden fell off Jaster's back and a few seconds later they were visible once more. They quickly hid behind a boulder and peaked out to look but it appeared they had lost the creature.

"Where's Wing?" Jeremy asked looking around. After a moment a familiar humming noise zipped by and Wing appeared very fatigued. "You guys OWE me!" he said trying to sound brave as he landed ahead several paces to rest.

"Yes, we do" Jaster smiled while catching his breath.

"I hope Kara, Mason, and Julien are faring better than we are" Amelia sighed.

"What was the Elder thinking sending us without a band of warriors!?" I have half a mind to go back and demand an explanation" Jaster ranted a bit.

"We can't go back, that THING will devour us if we try!" Wing advised.

"I was just joking, what was that thing?" Jaster demanded.

"I don't know, it looked like a wolf that had some red shiny eyes, but then again I've only seen one wolf. I'm not like you humans who go out meddling getting into trouble" Wing concluded.

"Did it see you?" Amelia asked anxiously.

"I was invisible, of course it didn't see me" Wing replied in frustration.

"We need to move" Jaster suddenly said seriously.

"You two better drink one of these" Jeremy said pulling out two more vials of mana.

Jaster and Amelia quickly gulped them down replenishing their minds with what felt like pure oxygen that gave them a sudden boost of focus despite their fatigue. They quickly resumed back on the rugged path.

"Can't we rest a bit more?" Wing protested.

"No, we cannot, we must go now! We have no warriors to defend us, if that thing gets to us we're finished" Jaster said with more urgency in his voice. He took out his wand and made Amelia and Jeremy travel in front of him as he brought up the rear.

"Could you make is invisible while we travel?" Jaster asked Wing hopefully.

"No, my powers are not that strong—frankly I'm surprised I was able to maintain invisibility on the three of you as long as I did" Wing quickly nodded.

"You know, you could stay 'invisible' if you like and watch the rear a bit further back since you can fly as well" he pointed out. "Ungrateful humans…" Wing sighed and disappeared.

"The Goddess is looking out for us" Amelia whispered to Jaster.

"Oh—yea sure" Jaster just sighed.

The path was rocky as it was littered with pebbles and stones from falling rocks from the cliffs. The further they followed the winding road up into the mountains the more narrow the path became. The air became noticeably cooler as Amelia began pulling her clerical robes tighter around her. The full moon seemed a bit brighter too. Not a whole lot of vegetation seemed to grow at this high elevation. Almost three hours passed without incident as Jaster brought up the rear with trepidation holding his wand tightly praying that his spells would best any creature before they got to him. He knew if he were to fall, Amelia and Jeremy would not stand much of a chance, even if Wing would stay and fight by them. Jaster did not hear from Wing for those few hours so he guessed everything was fine from his end. Then it occurred to him an attack could always come from the front. He figured Amelia would at least be able to hold them off long enough for him to join their ranks. Jaster's Fairy Wand glowed with a lite blue light illuminating a couple yards around him.

"Jaster" Amelia watched the Ice/Lightning wizard shake just a bit but quickly regained his composure. She could see sweat pouring from his brow even though the nightly breeze brought a chill as they traveled higher in elevation.

"Yes" he said holding his wand lower.

"Jeremy says we're almost there, the rest of the way is down into a smaller valley" Amelia said breaking the silence.

"That's a relief, I forgot how long it takes to physically walk here" Jaster said with exhaustion.

"There are some minor spirits that roam this area, if we avoid them they will not bother us" Amelia informed.

"Yea, I remember them, they aren't too aggressive unless you attack them—usually" Jaster emphasized.

"Unfortunately, the native inhabitance we have been encountering lately does match up with what we normally would see. So much has changed" Jeremy commented taking everything in remembering a couple years when his parents walked him to Ellinia to begin his formal magic training.

"Aye, the Black Mage has turned our island into a nightmare" Amelia agreed.

Jeremy waited near the top of the ridge until they arrived. He hid behind a boulder watching.

"If my memory serves me correctly, we go west from here" Jaster said as the path split two different ways.

"I believe you're right, but my feet are killing me" Amelia sighed. Jeremy remained quiet and followed stoically. Jaster stayed behind as Amelia and Jeremy continued on; and, Jaster prepared his most powerful spell for anything foolish enough to come at them. He began having doubts that his cold beam was as powerful as he thought. He debated to himself that the creature was a distance from him, he was running, and his focus was not on attacking the beast itself. Jaster held his wand back up and began maintaining his meditation chant which made his magical powers and any other wizard around him stronger.

Almost a half hour went by and it got really quiet. As Jaster passed roaming ghosts who frequented this barren wasteland riddled with deforestation he felt a certain foreboding. Suddenly a stinging pain assailed Jaster in the back, he swiftly turned around to face his assailant. A stealthy shadowy figure leaped from side to side, but Jaster's eyes proved quicker. The shadow kept moving swiftly from boulder to boulder.

"Zappus!" Jaster muttered casting his magician's bolt spell that he was able to quickly summon split seconds apart blasting small pieces of pebble off the boulder where the assailant was moments ago.

"Freeze scumbag!" he gritted through his teeth in frustration. His wand illuminated the area with a bright blue glow and a frigid cold energy formed and ice daggers blasted the-would-be assailant slowing him down.

"Stay your spell Wizard- if you want your companions to live" a voice from further ahead warned. Jaster could feel the stinging in his back but pushed it back to focus on what was going on ahead.

Two more figures emerged from the Shadows with Amelia and Jeremy poised with knives at their throats.

"What do you want?" Jaster demanded.

"Your mesos, PLOX!" the thieves laughed. Jaster took out his coin purse.

"Put it on the ground and throw down your wand" the robber instructed. The injured robber was slowly recovering from the cold beam but had a nasty wound on his arm and left hand.

"Can I kill him boss?" the robber begged whistling for his Doberman pincer. A fairly good size dog came growling out of the crags with its teeth barred at Jaster.

"Count the mesos" one of the other robbers commanded. Jaster tried to get a look at his assailants, but they were all dressed in dark leathery clothing and wore masks and the dog was just daring Jaster to make a dumb move.

"Ten thousand...ugh!" the robber grunted.

"You guys are worthless, the other two had three thousand between them giving us a grand total of thirteen thousand?!" one robber said shoving Jeremy to the ground.

The other robber looked at Amelia and laughed, "This one is probably worth the most, we could take her back and she could pay her way out of this one way or another..." the robbers laughed.

"You bastards!" Jaster grunted. Jeremy lied on the ground crawling to his knees.

"Jaster!" Everyone was taken by surprise as a voice from above began hysterically shouting. The dog turned around sensing Wing's presence and began barking.

"Jaster, Jaster, its coming! Run! Run!" the fairy's voice rang out.

"Wing!" Jaster thought. The split second distraction was all Jaster needed, he dived down and grabbed his wand.

"Electrify!" his wand begun glowing a bright blue color again and four orbs of blue sizzling energy blasted the three robbers and their watch dog with painful bolts of lightning.

Jeremy swiped his wand and Amelia tore free from her captor. The trio bolted past the robbers rushing down the winding path as quickly as they could. It took Wing a moment to figure out what was going on, but by that time the seven foot long wolf like creature appeared as the robbers were going to pursue their victims they heard the unearthly growl and turned to face their newest foe.

"Sick it Killer!" One of the robbers said flash jumping into the air to the side of the creature.

The Doberman Pincer lunged bravely at the creature only suffered a minor bite. The creature countered with a fierce claw batting the dog several feet almost against the rocks as it yelped one time and went silent.

One robber threw stars with direct hits, but the creature dived at him knocking him to the ground then bit him viciously on the shoulder slinging him against a boulder knocking him unconscious with a horrid wound. The other robber threw three more stars scoring more direct hits. One hit on the side of its huge snout. It turned and barred its fangs, and the robber saw the red glowing eyes. He and the other robber turned to run, but the creature caught one robber by the calf before he could take his second step dragging him to the ground screaming in a last defense with his needle gloved like claw scratching at the beast's face and was heard from no more.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Jaster looked back one time feeling sorry for even those low lives who would murder for money.

"Aaarrrgghh!" he heard two men struggling for their lives and the dog's last yelps.

"If three seasoned highway men couldn't best such a beast, neither can we" Jaster thought as they ran.

After five minutes of running Jeremy fell down tumbling down the path. Amelia tried to grab him but she too lost her balance and fell. Jaster could her them crying out in pain, but he could do little to help. The screams from behind finally stopped.

"Keep running Jaster" Wing yelled to him who was still invisible. Again suddenly he too was invisible and then Amelia and Jeremy once again disappeared. They finally came to a stop at a flat area. Jeremy grabbed his stomach in pain as the wind had been knocked out of him from the fall, and the palms of his hands were skinned up. Amelia's knees were skinned and she had a painful gash on her pretty forehead. Amelia struggled to stand.

"Jeremy?" she frantically searched. "He's right here " Wing said nervously glancing up the hill waiting for the creature to come trotting down after them any moment.

"I-I can't move-ugh.." Jeremy gasped. Amelia's knees were really sore. Jaster nearly tripped but was still in pain from the two stars stuck in his back.

"Sorry Wing, I know we don't have time, but we're in too bad of shape to continue on without some healing-"Amelia gasped. "Oh goddess, grant us your mercy!" the cleric cried out.

Green energy surrounded them dispelling Wing's invisibility spell. Slowly, the pain began to subside as their wounds began to mend.

"RAWR!" the deep roar and the sound of rocks sliding down the cliff sides came from not too far behind.

Distracted, Amelia looked up the hill but could not see the creature.

"Perion isn't too far ahead" Jaster remembered.

"We still have some distance, but we must keep moving or we're finished" Jaster said grimly.

Amelia grabbed her staff and Jeremy pulled out his wand with each of their pain within a threshold where it was somewhat bearable. Amelia grabbed Jeremy's wrist again began quickly using all of her power to continuously teleport themselves further ahead. For a couple minutes they continued, but Amelia's ability to draw on the power of her Goddess was flagging severely as teleporting another person required much more mana.

Amelia realized she could teleport herself, but Jeremy was unable to utilize that spell. Wing became visible flying above them continuously glancing behind them.

"My magic power is just about spent!" Jaster warned.

"I can't perform miracles if I overexert myself" Amelia agreed as well.

"Ok everyone, this time we must save our magic" Jaster nodded as they took a quick breath.

"We can make it, now run!" Jaster shouted. They ran as fast as they could ever hope to move.

"Thank... the Goddess!" Amelia panted as they saw the town encampment ahead.

"Hurry it's gaining on us!" Wing yelled.

Jaster looked back and indeed it was coming for them. Jaster had his wand in his hand preparing to die if need be to protect his companions. Wing blasted the creature with a blast of light green shiny dust. The creature slowed momentarily but continued to pursue them. They were almost at the edge of Perion, but the unnatural beast was quickly gaining ground.

Jaster glanced back and it would only be a few more strides and it would be on their heels. Jaster nodded his head as he turned accepting his fate.

"Jaster!" Amelia screamed as her and Jeremy were a few paces running ahead. Jaster turned around in a final stand to defend his companions and summoned the last of his magical power to cut into the creatures hide with his Cold beam.

"Freeze in the ninth circle of hell you foul beast!" Jaster screamed as his wand turned a bright blue and three razor sharp dagger sized ice shards formed and launched stabbing the creature, slowing it for a moment before it lunged at the wizard and countered with a claw knocking Jaster six feet back to the ground.

Jaster was barely conscious as he tried to raise his head and get one last spell off before the monster finished him.

"Oh Goddess give us your holy blessings to smite this evil!" Amelia chanted as translucent small fairy looking angels seemed to pour an annointment over them all. She ran Jaster's side taking her final stand.

She held her staff bravely standing over Jaster and launched a bright golden Holy Arrow blasting the creature in its abdomen causing it to slightly wince.

"If we're going to die…at least we'll all die together" the young magician said stoically as he stood next to the cleric. He waved his wand in the air making an orange crescent trail, and the creature was clawed by two unseen claws leaving orange magical energy in its wake. The creature growled loudly as it prepared lunge at her and Jeremy.

Suddenly Wing quickly flew by the creature and blasted it with two green orbs of force in its face distracting it.

"Come on you ugly demon! Come and get me!" Wing taunted it as he flew swiftly around it like an annoying gnat. The creatures head moved around trying to get a lock on Wing to shred the sprite to pieces. Jaster raised his head with his wand in his hand he summoned one more powerful energy bolt and blasted the creature. Jeremy did likewise, but two energy bolts flew out of his Hardwood wand this time hitting the creature in the neck and in the face. When the blots hit, they exploded which was something Jaster nor Amelia had ever seen before.

It roared out in pain. Amelia tried in a desperate attempt to heal Jaster's gash and scratches hoping he would regain some strength to stand.

"Take this you over sized mutt!" Wing yelled blasting it with two more balls of green force making the creature swat blindly at him with its paws. Wing dodged all of wild swipes, but the last one sent him flying into Jeremy unconscious.

"Wing!" Jeremy cried. The creature licked its lips preparing for its feast. It wasn't every day that this beast got to feast on a host of humans and a sweet tasty sprite for dessert.

Amelia fired one last Holy arrow delaying the inevitable as it put its paw up in defense. The creature charged at them.

"No!" Amelia cried as the beast sent her and Jeremy flying back from the force of its lunge, and that was all Jeremy or Jaster remembered.

Suddenly a flash of white light prevented the creature from getting any closer.

"Am I dead?" Amelia thought. She looked trying to raise her head and two warriors, both with swords drawn stood between them and the creature. A white looking spirit followed the swordsmen as he ran at the creature with a war cry.

"I will banish you back to the hell from which you came!" he shouted and slashed. Another warrior hit the ground summoning a powerful shock of purple energy which drove the creature back a foot.

"Down here!" the female warrior screamed.

Intrigued by its newest foes it saw more warriors coming to slay it. It considered how it could rip both warriors up. It saw more coming, thinking perhaps it could kill them all. One figure stuck out in the background behind the reinforcements that cause the monstrous beast to quickly turn around not before taking another slash to its hard hide before leaping away into the night. Amelia began to feel dizzy. Both of the warriors ran to her side.

"Don't worry, you're safe now sister" the female warrior consoled. Amelia smiled and darkness took her.

"Boy! Are you ok?!" the male warrior asked. Jeremy was weak with injuries and weariness and he too collapsed to the ground.

"We got to get them back to town" the female warrior replied as town guards with axes and spears arrived.

"That was some creature! I've never seen anything like it!" the female warrior admitted with trepidation.

"I haven't either..." the male warrior shook his head in awe and some fear as he shook his long blond ponytail back. The rest of the warriors quickly arrived and they rushed the traveling group back to town.


	7. Silver's Tale

**PART 7 – SILVER'S TALE**

Kara awoke to the smell of fresh baked bread wafting in the air. She could feel her stomach growl in hunger. She stretched in her comfortable bed hugging her long fluffy pillow. The sunlight shone through the stained glass window shedding its kaleidoscope of color on the floor. It had been a long night, not knowing what time it was, she stretched, yawned, and began brushing her long red hair. She quickly donned her robes and shoes and decided she would see who had bread. As she stepped out her door, she could her Father Shober in his office praying.

"Oh Goddess of Light, guide these souls and free them from darkness giving them ever lasting life..." Kara smiled and always admired Father Shober's pious attitude.

She wanted to be like him but knew she still had a ways to go as he had years of wisdom that she still had yet to experience. Not wanting to distract Father Shober, because he probably had someone from the town seeking guidance, she went into the chapel to say her morning prayers pushing aside her hunger. To her surprise Mason was already in prayer knelt down by the altar.

Kara knelt down on the opposite side and began to pray. Julien was still sleeping sound wrapped in his bedroll on the floor. After ten minutes Father Shober emerged from his office with an older couple. "Thank you Father, we appreciate your generosity" the older woman thanked. "You're welcome, just continue following the Goddess and your blessings will multiply" he said benevolently. Almost in unison, Mason and Kara stood finishing their daily prayers.

"Ah, Mason, Kara, I have lunch for you in my office" Father Shober acknowledged them.

"Lunch? Is it already lunch?!" Kara freaked out a bit.

"It's ok…you three had a late night" Father Shober dismissed her sudden panic.

"Thanks again Father" an older bald man said thankfully then winking at Mason and Kara.

"Bless you too John" Father Shober replied as they opened the chapel doors and exited.

"You two feel rested now? It's now in the afternoon, but luckily two of our chapels regulars brought some extra lunch for us. We have a couple loaves of bread, some cheese, and a few apples" he finished.

"Thank you Father, I'm very hungry" Mason admitted. They both followed Father Shober back into his office. He had two fresh loaves of bread and had a half of a cheddar cheese wheel. Father Shober cut them each a generous portion which they took and gave thanks to the Goddess for their gifts.

"So, what's really going on around here?" Mason asked taking a bite of cheese. "Wouldn't you rather wait until all of your party members are present?" Father Shober smiled.

Kara rolled her eyes, "We can debrief him later, we really don't expect a whole lot from him"

"Now he was useful when we were attacked on the way here" Mason interjected. "Come on, we would have been fine on our own" Kara dismissed the idea.

"I don't know…" Mason trailed off.

"What happened?" Father Shober asked with mild concern.

"We were attacked by snails…" Kara replied sarcastically downplaying the incident.

"Those weren't the ordinary snails that inhabit this area, there was something different about them, much different" Mason emphasized.

"How were they different?" Father Shober said making himself a sandwich.

"Fine, they were a LOT stronger" Kara admitted.

"That's what I was afraid of…" Shober replied putting his sandwich down taking a book from his shelf.

"What do you mean?" Kara said with a puzzled look.

"The dark energy has increased almost tenfold now" Shober replied.

"What does all of this mean?" Mason pressed.

"The balance has been offset, and it's not in our favor" Shober concluded.

"This is the fourth time in the past few weeks I have heard of travelers being assailed by weaker creatures that generally aren't aggressive, and they're MUCH stronger" Father Shober emphasized mimicking Kara.

Mason and Kara were quiet taking it all in, but Kara nodded getting the message Shober was trying to get across to her.

"Are the end times here?" Mason asked bluntly.

"In the Holy texts, it mentions this when there is an imbalance of power" Shober said scanning an old leather bound book.

"The Goddess won't let this happen" Kara smiled in confidence.

"Our Goddess' power is not unlimited, yes, it's true she possesses more power than almost any immortal being, but alas, she depends on her followers for her power too. People haven't been exactly breaking down the doors to listen to the sermons. People have lost faith or have grown too attached to the material world and their possessions. Why do you think she hasn't been able to leave her tower in so long? Our numbers have dwindled over the years, not many folks care to live a life devoted to her teachings" Kara and Mason could only sit nodding and listening.

"Yes, the world has an unprecedented problem on their hands; but, our immediate problem I believe is a vampire, which I thought didn't exist" Shober paused.

"So how do we defeat it?" Mason asked immediately.

"I'm not quite sure, there are ways, but we are talking about a mythical being that could possibly be real. I do know it is a very unholy creation, so we have the advantage—in THAT aspect" Shober emphasized.

"To sum it all up about a vampire, that is my suspicion, but I could be wrong" Father Shober shrugged leaving the two clerics confused.

"Do you have any leads?" Kara was quick to jump in.

"I've spoken to four of the town guards. Two claimed to see a huge dark wolf like creature with red glowing eyes. From the reports they made, three of the victims had their throats ripped out. Two victims were completely drained of their blood leaving them looking ghostly; but, when they were being buried on the north side of town, the caretakers had noticed their graves had been dug up" Shober said closing the book gently lying it down.

Father Shober took his sandwich and took a big bite slowly chewing his food.

"My question is, why must they come to the church for help? We're not warriors? I'm assuming that the town guardsmen are competent warriors" Mason said rubbing his head a bit overwhelmed.

"These attacks are supernatural in nature Mason, this town doesn't really have any residential magicians and I'm the last Priest that resides here. I just let the last three Clerics studying under me take leave to go to El Nath to finish their studies to become Priests as well" Mason nodded.

"Who's in charge of protecting the town, it's not like Lith Harbor has an established mayor like Henesey" Kara pointed out.

"Our Viking friend Olaf takes care of that. The town council members are the ones who make all the important decisions in this town. A young man named Jason, a sailor name Teo, and some of the shop owners, I can't remember them all" paused then resumed eating. Kara and Mason sat there contemplating for a moment.

"I think we should go and pay Olaf a visit first" Kara suggested. Mason nodded in agreement.

"Maybe you kids will learn something that I missed, but I repeat, do not go to the cemetery during the night—as a matter of fact return back here by sunset" Shober sounded serious, but they were interrupted by a knock at the door. Mason reached for the door handle and pulled open the door. Julien stood there still yawning and when he finally opened his eyes acknowledging everyone he finally spoke.

"So, what's the plan today?"

"Here, you should eat and get your energy up" Father Shober said evenly handing Julien a small sack. Kara and Mason gave each other blank stares.

Everything seemed ok on the surface in Lith Harbor but one could tell that people in town were whispering rumors of an unknown fear. Everyone seemed on edge. As the afternoon went by, the clouds began rolling across the sky blocking out the sun. Mason began discussing what was going on in an abridged version while Kara waited impatiently.

"So let me get this straight, we're going to find some guy named Olaf, maybe talk to a couple guards, and maybe a couple of townsfolk?" Julien replied almost flabbergasted, but Mason smiled and nodded.

"Are you sure you guys need me for this?" Julien whined.

"You know, you can just stay here!" Kara's voice shouted from outside the door. Mason buried his face in his hands.

"Well, then I guess it's settled" Julien replied opening the door so he could face Kara directly. Kara's green eyes bore into him like daggers.

"You got something to say red?" Julien smiled. Kara's face was indeed turning as red as her hair, "Actually, um yea, there IS" she gritted through her teeth.

"Is there a problem?" Father Shober walked out of his office with a couple of parchments and several empty flasks in a knap sack.

"Oh, uh, no, not at all" Kara immediately changed her demeanor not wanting Father Shober to see her angry.

"Good, I'm going up into the loft to look over some old parchments and to make some holy water. Remember, be back by sunset, I don't want you kids out and about after dark without me" he instructed as he disappeared in the chapel.

"I didn't know there was a loft here" Julien looked around.

"Yes, it's where the reed organ is and there is a small study room up there, you have to climb the ladder in the far left corner of the chapel to get to it" Mason informed.

"So what are you going to do?" Mason said grabbing his cloak to join Kara.

"Well, this seems like we need someone stealthy for this kind of mission" Julien shook his head.

"What do you mean?" Mason asked watching Kara storm off back in the chapel.

"Don't worry, I'll meet you guys back here later this evening" Mason threw his hands up and ran to meet up with Kara in the chapel.

Julien closed the door and sat in the room for a few moments pondering the information he just heard. He took out his spell book and decided to study for a short while, but was eying the Kerning City scroll he had in his back pack. He took it out for a moment and placed it back in his bag. He opened his book and began looking over some of the fire and poison spells. The runes and symbols were those that an intermediate magician could understand fairly easily. He was trying to figure out how to make his magic more powerful by substituting other symbols of power. He could see the end results were about the same, except one arrangement seemed like it might be a bit stronger. He began thinking about the scroll again and a wicked smile curled up on his lips.

Kara noticed the light coming into the chapel was rather dim somehow.

"He's staying?" Kara smiled. Mason nodded his head.

"Good, he's almost worthless anyway" she said as they stepped outside.

Kara pulled her white robe jacket tighter as a cooler breeze began blowing into the harbor. The sky was gray and fog was beginning to set in. "It's a little chilly" she remarked.

"So where is Mr. Olaf?" Kara thought for a moment remembering him. "He's probably somewhere out by the docks working with the harbor men, or he's in the pub drinking according to Father Shober" Mason replied as she sighed.

"Well lead on, you know this town much better than I do sister" Mason prompted her as she paused for a moment then began leading Mason in the western part of the town.

People seemed to be rushing around as they were drawing little attention. Lith Harbor was a fairly busy town with trade, but not of late as of rumors of bad storms and sea monsters started scaring merchant ships away leaving only the hardiest of sailors and merchants from the skies who were lucky enough not to encounter a balrog's ship. Kara picked up the attitude of the town. It wasn't how she remembered it. Studying beginner magician skills and learning the Holy Texts in Ellinia was a lot of her teenage years. She remembered just this week three new magicians were officially ranked clerics. It reminded her of her younger days training with other magicians in Ellinia's forests and spending two weeks out of the month with Father Shober at the chapel with her other sisters preparing for their life change.

Mason grew up in Perion where most people in that remote area were almost expected to become great warriors. Mason had only been to Lith Harbor a few of times; first, as a child with his brother to trade goods at the market. Then the last couple times for preparation for his rite of passage before he became a cleric due to the lack of space at the Chapel.

The money was good as they sold animal hides and tribal beads to many superstitious sailors. His brother ended up getting hired by an adventuring party traveling to El Nath but that was over a year ago. Mason became more pious after nearly being killed by a fire boar that his brother slew.

Kara was deep in thought until they finally made it to the port. It was the biggest port in Victoria Island.

"So, what does this Mr. Olaf look like?" Mason asked looking around.

"He looks like a cross between a sailor and a Viking" she answered scanning the men on the docks. Mason turned to his right and spotted a man that fit that description. "You mean that guy wearing that ridiculous helmet?" Mason smiled.

Kara glanced back his way. "I think so" she smiled.

As they approached some of the men were eyeing Kara and some whistled. Kara rolled her eyes until they finally were able to approach the man Mason spotted.

"Mr. Olaf?" Kara asked quizzically. The tall broad shouldered man with the Viking helmet turned to them.

"That be me! Who's askin'?" he asked regarding the two of them suspiciously.

"We're from the church of the Goddess" Mason stated proudly.

"Aye, Father Shober sent ye eh?" he smirked.

"Yous kids are a bit out o' yer league don't ya think?" Olaf said sizing them up.

"Don't know" Mason retorted.

"That's what we need to speak to you about" Kara tried to be polite. Olaf was well over six feet tall and very stocky. He had his blond hair braided and had a long mustache that hung in front of his chin. His ice blue eyes were cold looking. He wore a pair of ripped up denim pants and an old leather vest, and his boots looked old and worn out.

"We wanted to ask you about the murders in town, and if anyone had seen anything" Kara explained.

"I've done told Father Shober everything I know" he paused and looked around then got closer to Kara and Mason and began whispering.

"I slew several undead a couple nights ago but don't ya go getting da towns people upset, I'm having enough problems already. Go to the Drinking Fish and speak with Silver there, he may be able ta tell ya more" Olaf whispered archaically.

Mason and Kara looked at each other with dreadful stares.

"I have ta finish up here, I'd stay away from da graveyard without a bodyguard" Olaf said seriously then rejoined his men moving crates of merchandise off a ship.

"That went well…" Mason sighed.

"I don't know want to go in no pub" Kara shook her head.

"Why? It's not that late, probably just a bunch of old timers drinking a few" Mason explained.

"That's part of the reason I don't want to go" she laughed.

"Just ignore them, we're doing the Holy Goddess' work" Mason reminded.

"I know, I know…" she sighed looking across from the docks to the pub.

"Let's get this over with" she started walking away.

The pub, like most buildings in Lith Harbor, was like a villa style white stoned building with a blue roof. When they entered, the pub had a steady flow of customers. A number of patrons were there enjoying mugs of beer and shots of fine spirits. A few of them began to sneak glances at the robed couple that just entered. Six of them were older men, one was an older woman with her husband, and in the corner with a group of young sailors sat and even older man.

"So, how do we know which one is silver?" Kara whispered as they were getting unwanted attention.

Mason looked around and confidently walked to the bar. A man with a red beard strode up to them wearing a leather vest and a black full sleeved shirt underneath.

"May I help you?" he regarded them.

"We're looking for a man named Silver, do you know where I could find him?" Mason asked casually.

The bartender looked around the bar for a moment, "Ah ha, he's over in the corner with that group of sailors, the man with the peg leg" he smiled.

Kara didn't recognize any of the faces in the pub then spotted Silver. He looked shabby wearing a cook's apron. He was a stocky man with grayish white hair and bright blue eyes. He was a tanned man with a big anchor tattooed on his shoulder. He looked like he seen several adventures in his day. He sat at a table with five men of different ages. He looked rather animated as he spoke. They started to walk towards the table but didn't want to interrupt him.

"What's he doing?" Kara whispered. Mason listened for a moment and smiled, "He seems to be reliving his past…"

"We're going to be here awhile" Kara sighed.

Some of the guys at the table began peeping at Kara. Silver noticed he was losing his audience's attention and he finally turned around.

"Oh, we have a young lass in the building" he smiled.

Kara smiled sheepishly, "Have ye come to listen to my tales too?" he asked with a hint of excitement in his voice. Mason smiled, "Uh yea, actually…"

Silver put his hand up, "Let the young lass speak sir" he said cutting Mason off abruptly.

"Ask about the recent tales…" Mason whispered to Kara.

"Yea, we did as a matter of fact" she smiled reading Mason.

"We would like to hear a particular tales of the ghastly things that is rumored you saw a few days ago" Kara laughed.

One man at the table whistled at her, but Silver did not seem so amused anymore. His face became serious, "Why do you ask?" he said suspiciously.

"We're from the Church of the Holy Goddess" she explained.

"I really don't want to talk about it…" he shook his head.

"What is she talking about?" one sailor demanded.

"Yea, tell us Silver!" another said.

"She's a very pretty lass, tell her what she wants" one middle aged sailor winked at her. Silver thought for a moment and changed his demeanor, "Ok, if you have night terrors don't say I didn't warn you!" Silver warned shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"Who do you think you're talking to?!" One sailor laughed.

"It started a couple weeks ago actually. Late one night after I shut my weapons shop down, I went out with Vikin and a couple other mates of mine to help them meet their quota of fish for the week for some extra mesos" he paused for a moment.

"We went out on a small boat with about eight of us. The night sky was fairly clear. We went a couple nautical miles off shore and we found us a spot and the fish came a rollin' in. As the night went on, a strange mist began rolling in. At first we thought maybe it was just rain clouds coming. It began drizzling and then that was when we saw a ship several yards starboard. The ship looked like an antique almost as it was sailing and it had a strange glow about it. Not wanting to alarm the masters of the ship because we didn't know if they were friendly or hostile. We decided to make our way back to shore even though our catch was only half of what we were looking for. The water was unnaturally still, almost as if we were in the eye of a hurricane. That wasn't the case; however, when we arrived back on shore we heard a woman scream. So my mates ran ahead of me to help the lass who screamed. I was trying to get there as quickly as I could but before I could get there I heard multiple gun shots ring out. I heard more screams, some of them belonged to my mates!" he stopped for a moment and took a long drink of ale followed by a deep sigh. Everyone at the table listened intently.

"Well, what did you see?" one of the younger sailors pressed. Silver took another deep breath and continued.

"It was a bloody mess, four of my mates were lying dead clawed and bitten. The woman was fading in and out of consciousness as blood was dripping from her neck. Another young man, who must have been her boyfriend, was lying dead with similar wounds. Two of the four who were still standing looked very badly wounded. I only saw the back of the creature as it began leaping towards the edge of town attacking random citizens. By the time it was all over with, eight people had died. We tried to save the woman and two other guys who had rushed into danger, but the wounds were fatal and by morning they were all dead" he stopped and rubbed his face.

"What did the creature look like?" Mason asked with great interest.

"It wasn't anything that inhabited this island. It had fur black as night, razor sharp claws, and teeth like daggers. Its eyes glow red as if it was a demon from the Netherworld. When it stood on its back legs it stood almost eight feet tall!" Silver opened his icy eyes wide making a grimacing expression pounding the table getting a startled reaction from just about everyone.

Kara closed her eyes for a minute.

"It must have been a big dog!" one sailor laughed that was completely unfazed.

"It was no dog, it would have ripped you apart" Silver said seriously.

"Is that so?" the sailor replied almost taking it as a challenge.

"It definitely sounds like it was otherworldly" Mason commented.

"That's only half of the story, over the next couple of weeks, familiar faces began to resurface. Family and friends of the dead were claiming to have seen them. Within a few more days more bodies began being found. No one knew what was going on. A night or two ago, Vikin, Olaf, and Teo had Father Shober accompany them to the cemetery north of here to purify the undead that were coming to feed off of us and lay them to rest" He paused again to take long gulp of ale.

Kara went into a trance and remained silent.

"How do you know so much?" Mason asked scratching his head.

"I was there…Father Shober wanted to hallow the ground" Silver sighed.

The sailors cheery mood changed to somewhere between fearful and skeptical.

"We had to burn the bodies to keep them from coming back from the dead. It was nothing but pure evil, even Father Shober was shaken up and he's been this town's priest for many years" he stopped finishing his mug of ale.

"Sounds like some Sleepywood shit" one sailor added.

"What happened next?" another sailor curiousity peaked.

"The thing tried to ambush Father Shober just two nights ago, but luckily for him, Vikin, Olaf, myself, and Teo were on our way at a late hour bringing someone who had been possessed for an exorcism. We saw Father Shober get knocked several feet back by one swipe of its paws. Luckily he was quick on his feet and disappered in a flash of light stunning the creature for just enough time for him to summon a bright shining ray that looked like an angel at the beast making it roar out in pain. As it was going to charge Father Shober, Vikin, Teo, and Olaf attacked it from behind. I shot at it several times with my Burning Hell pistol. The creature turned to attack us but Olaf took out his huge axe he calls 'The Rising' and hacked a deep gash in the beat's hide with a powerful strike. Father Shober blasted his holy arrows into the beast continuing to weaken it. The creature still fought relentlessly knocking tough Olaf aside clawing him twice then pouncing him. Teo and Vikin continued shooting the creature as it leaped at the two of them barely missing Teo with a vicious bite, but it used its hind legs to knock Vikin to the ground. Father Shober immediately came to all of their aid as he began calling out to the Goddess to heal their wounds. Then I stood face to face with the creature myself" Silver stopped shivering reliving the evil moment.

Silver went to take another gulp but the mug was empty and immediately Mason took his empty mug up to the barkeep.

"Another for him please" Mason smiled. "Aye, that will be a two-fifty mesos please" he laughed filling it up.

"You got him telling those crazy stories again have you?" the barkeep continued snickering.

"Um, yea…" Mason replied coolly handing him a three hundred meso bills.

"Keep the change" Mason said nonchalantly rushing Silver's full mug of ale back to him.

"Please continue" Mason urged totally intrigued. Silver took a long drink emptying have the mug down his throat.

"Yes, I fired a strong shot that I had been saving for just a desperate moment. I focused my will to live and my Burning Hell fired a critical shot to its paw, luckily for me this was a skill I learned as an adventuring Gunslinger long ago. The shot was able to allow me the force to push me back out of its way, but I dropped my crutch leaving myself totally wide open. Luckily by this time all of the town guardsmen had their pistols drawn firing on the beast. It had no choice but to retreat. That was one of the few times I believe I have ever come that close to the jaws of death. So, that was what happened until this point, I don't know what you kids think you're going to do against such a foe. We have had enough dead to bury for many lifetimes" Silver stopped again and finished the half mug of ale he had just gotten.

"That's insane, sounds like some of your old sea adventures but not as… um, what's the word?" one sailor stopped.

"Evil" Kara muttered as she opened her eyes. "Pure evil" she repeated. Mason glanced at Kara noticing she sounded very concerned.

"Is something wrong lass? I can buy you a drink?" one sailor winked.

"No thanks, Mason, we need to get back to the chapel.

"Thanks Mr. Silver" Mason smiled. "This is for your trouble" he said putting down a hundred meso note on the table. Mason and Kara quickly left the pub making their way back to the chapel.

"What's wrong Kara?" Mason asked as they walked swiftly. "I had a vision…" she sighed.

"A vision?! Of what?" he asked confused.

"I saw the beast… I only hope our companions are safe, may the Goddess watch over them" she said in a serious tone.

"You actually saw it?" Mason asked in disbelief. "Yes, the Goddess granted me a vision, it was horribly frightening, I hope Julien isn't trying to be a hero" she shook her head picking up her pace as Mason followed suit.

Once they made it to the entrance of the chapel they were greeted with Father Shober locking the door behind him.

"Father Shober!" Mason shouted. The sky had already begun to darken as the sun had already set.

"Mason, Kara, thank the Goddess! Where is Julien?" he asked. "We thought he was with you" Mason stated.

"It's hard to tell, he's probably taking a nap" Kara rolled her eyes. Father Shober opened the chapel door as they rushed back to the room. Father Shober knocked loudly.

"Master Julien?" He knocked again. Mason just opened the door but there was no sign of Julien.

"Where did he go?" Father Shober looked concerned.

"Well all of his stuff is here, so he couldn't have left the town" Kara pointed out.

"Wait, he wasn't at the pub, and that was a place that Jaster mentioned Julien liked spending his free time" Mason mentioned.

"We're supposed to be on a mission… sometimes I really have to question the Elder's choices" Kara said grudgingly.

"You don't think he would try going to the cemetery against what I advised do you?" Father Shober demanded. Kara closed her eyes and grabbed her head as if she just got a massive headache. "I really don't know, I truly doubt it but it's a small possibility"


	8. An Evil Curse

**CHAPTER 8 – AN EVIL CURSE **

As an evil chill in the night air howls ominously, a man runs for his life after watching two of his comrades and their pet get mauled to death. He could hear the rocks falling behind him as his pursuer continued after him. Even with his ability to move hastily through the mountains able to use the flash jump ability he learned, the beast was still quickly on his tail. He had a couple handfuls of Wolbi Throwing Stars left as he threw six more behind him once he thought he could try to hit the beast in a critical area.

The stars were doing minimal damage with only one of them embedding in the beast's hide. The creature was only a couple more strides behind him, so he decided to focus on leaping rock to rock as he began to ascend higher and higher into the crags. The beast reached out and grazed his back giving him a stinging wound as it was closing the distance leaping close behind. The beast opened its mouth wide for the kill, but was only able to nip the back of the thief's calf. The assassin felt the pain sting with each jump he took until his final leap missing the stone he intended to jump for and fell almost fifteen feet in an unexpected entrance to some manner of underground lair.

Luckily, he didn't break any bones and was able to scramble further into the darkness to a corner of the unknown cavern. He could hear the beast's roar from above. Then he saw the red glow, but not from the creature's eyes but from a red glowing orb. A humanoid outline could be seen as the red dim light barely illuminated the small cavern "I'll let you live, for now slave…" a strange voice said then the light vanished and he was in total darkness.

The cool mountain air blew in from the far north of Victoria Island as the barren lands of the northern ridges pointed to the skies with their jagged edges. A middle aged woman in her mid-thirties rushed around the room gathering flasks, while chopping up herbs. She wore a long blue dress and had shoulder length brown hair. The stress could be seen deep in her hazel eyes.

"I need you to chop up some more rosemary, and I need sage too" a broad shouldered man said looking over his book of recipes.

Sweat poured from his brow as he put other ingredients in the cauldron, and his big blond beard didn't help.

"I'm working as fast as I can Arturo" Sophia said in a stressed voice.

Arturo turned to look at the three unconscious travelers in his shop lying on cots.

"I don't know what they got, but my regular herbal healing brews have only helped heal their physical wounds. Let's just hope this special brew I make does the trick" he said as they seemed to be sweating profusely.

"We need a Priest or even a Cleric" Sophia complained.

"Now you know we can't disrespect the tribal folk here, we need to have faith in their ways" Arturo retorted calmly.

"Who are you trying to convince? Me, or you?" Sophia laughed as she began chopping rosemary and sage.

Sophia looked at the youngest traveler as he seemed to be tossing and turning in his deep slumber with a look of sadness on his face. She began moving faster.

"M-mu mum!" Sophia turned around to see the youngest traveler squinting in his sleep.

"Mu-mum! Do-don't go!" he mumbled again then drifted back off into a deep sleep. Sophia walked over and felt his forehead.

"He's really hot" she said with concern as Sophia walked to check the other two.

"The other two are warm, but I fear for the youngest one here" Sophia walked back and finished chopping the herbs.

"Let's hope this helps" Arturo shook his head adding them in the smaller cauldron.

Wing suddenly flew in and landed by Jeremy.

"Fairy! How many times must we tell you to wait outside?" Arturo said angrily.

"I need to make sure my friends are safe" he yelled back.

"We told you to wait outside" Arturo retorted.

"How is it that you didn't contract anything?" Sophia asked suspiciously.

"I'm a fairy, we are immune to most human and cursed diseases" Wing boasted.

"Is that so?" Arturo looked at Sophia with a bit of sarcasm.

"That's what I said human…" Wing rubbed it in.

"Take your antics elsewhere fairy, we're trying to heal your companions, and you buzzing around blah-blah-blah isn't helping!" he shot back surprising Wing.

*Cough—wheeze-Gasp* Everyone's attention turned as Jeremy's health began taking a turn for the worse as he went into a series of convulsions.

"We need the potion now!" Sophia yelled.

Arturo began mixing rapidly and scooped a ladle full into a cup.

"Here, give this to him" Sophia took the cup rushing over to Jeremy's bedside.

Arturo joined her holding Jeremy still as he shook violently with convulsions gasping. Sophia poured a little of the mixture in his mouth but it was hard getting it down as Arturo held him up patting him on the back.

"We need to get his fever down and get him stabilized" Sophia replied under stress.

Arturo picked Jeremy up off the cot to hold him standing in place trying to get him to breathe. Standing him up allowed more air to get in his lungs, then he started breathing again but it was still labored. Sophia tried pouring the mixture in his mouth again, but this time with success. After a couple minutes his convulsions subsided and he returned back to his coma state. Wing hovered there with a shocked face not knowing what to do. Arturo and Sophia sighed in relief.

"We need to give the other two this as well" Sophia said wiping her brow. Within an hour, Jaster and Amelia too began experiencing mild convulsions. A taller young man and woman entered the small shop, each dressed in tribal clothing, but weren't natives.

"How are our travelers doing?" the young man asked. He stood almost six feet tall with long blond hair tied back in a ponytail and green eyes.

"We need your help" Sophia said immediately as Arturo helped her get the solution down Amelia's throat.

Arturo then sat Jaster up on his cot and held him up while Sophia helped administer the medicine and slowly, their seizures begun to subside.

"Their wounds must have been more serious than we thought?" the young woman remarked. She was about the same height as Amelia but seemed more athletic. She had long sandy blonde hair which she wore with two ponytails tied to each side.

"I think this may be some type of disease or, or…" Sophia continued.

"Curse" Arturo said darkly.

"Oh" the two young adults sighed.

"We need a Priest" Sophia said flatly.

"Hey Zechariah, go get Blackbull for me, he is good with spirits" Arturo instructed.

"Right away" he said dashing out the building.

"So we have some demon roaming the mountainside now, fabulous!" Sophia said throwing her hands in the air.

"Now I know why we haven't been able to receive our past couple of shipments—and you are?" Arturo ran his hand through his hair obviously stressed.

"My name is Nora" the young woman said walking observing the three travelers as they slept.

"Are you from around here?" Arturo cut in.

"Actually, I don't know…" she smiled weakly.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Sophia laughed.

"Well they found my brother and I on a small boat west of Lith Harbor during a bad storm" Nora answered drawing a look from Sophia of disbelief.

"Where are your parents?" Sophia continued.

"We don't know. Neither one of us remember anything, we were only twelve and thirteen at the time. We were raised by a Priest, and grew up in a small chapel, that's as far back as I remember. That was ten years ago" she explained.

"Interesting" Sophia said chopping up more rosemary and sage.

"So, what kind of warrior are you training to be?" Arturo continued scanning a book.

"I decided to take the path of the Paladin, I could never sit still during evening prayers when I was younger and had a natural talent for fighting, so says my brother. We both left the chapel with the local Priest's blessing when we both turned sixteen. Zechariah met a Cygnus Knight and moved to Ereve a week later to become a Dawn Warrior" she paused for a moment.

"Why didn't you just go to Ereve too?" Sophia asked.

"I wanted to vary from my brother, and plus I wanted to serve the Goddess in my own way, so I came here and trained hard and learned the ways of the warriors here, and eventually I was able to earn my rank as a Page" Nora said taking a seat.

"I've never seen you around before" Sophia commented.

"We stayed with a settlement near the excavation site and just never came into town much" Nora answered.

She stopped as a tall red skinned man with a shaved head except the bit of hair in the center which was tied back into a long black ponytail. He wore his ceremonial war paint and carried his ceremonial spear with him.

"I hear troubling news about our newest guests in town" he replied.

"Blackbull, thanks for coming" Arturo bowed.

Blackbull waved his hand, "No need to bow, we are here for each other" he replied with humility.

Blackbull walked over to Jaster and put his hand on his forehead and closed his eyes. Zechariah walked in the big tent and observed quietly. Blackbull suddenly withdrew his hand startled. He walked over to Amelia who was also sweating profusely and touched her forehead.

"What are you doing?!" Wing yelled.

"SHHHH!" everyone glared at Wing. Wing folded his arms and perched on top of a potion shelf. Blackbull again was startled. He finally walked over to Jeremy and the result was the same. Blackbull's face looked grim.

"It is as I feared…" he trailed off.

"What?!" Wing demanded darting off the shelf floating in front of Blackbull.

"A cursed being has afflicted them with an unholy disease" he shook his head firmly.

"So my potions aren't helping?" Arturo frowned.

"Your potions delay their affliction, but it is a matter of time before your potions will have no effect" Blackbull said as he saw the three fighting for their lives.

"How can we help them then?" Sophia implored.

Blackbull paused for moment, "We will need either the four blessings of the elemental spirits or…"

"Or what?" Nora cut in.

Blackbull had a reluctant look on his face but nodded, "Or we will need a Priest of the Goddess. It is not the way of our people since we have followed the spirits for centuries"

"There was a Priestess here last week, but she was visiting family" Zechariah informed.

"I know whom you speak of… she has already returned back to El Nath" Blackbull answered sourly.

"How do you know her?" Wing demanded again.

"That, is none of your concern fairy, this is no place to be acting fool" he said sternly.

"We could take them to Amoria to the High Priest there" Nora suggested.

"Or Father Shober in Lith Harbor" Zechariah added.

"Each would be a day's travel" Arturo argued.

Blackbull held his hand up, "We can do this without Holy power, but we will need to receive blessings from each elemental spirit. Sylph of the Wind spirits, Salamander of the Fire spirits, Undine of the Water spirits, and Earth… well I prefer the tree spirits but they are still angry at us for all the destruction; so, we will need to find Gnome spirits for the Earth" he finished.

"That sounds like an epic quest!" Zechariah frowned.

"We will have time to get them?" Nora asked unsure.

"These spirits can be summoned in the area, but the more energy the element has the more chances you will be able to summon them" Blackbull paused taking out a pouch.

"There is a feather and stone in here" he took a small torch hanging from his side "This is a torch I used in a fire ritual, it will help invoke Salamander. The water, you will have to climb Mount Winter where the spring flows pure and Undine will surely answer your call with this vial of clean water I have prepared for invocation" Zechariah and Nora listened in anticipation.

"For Salamander, you will have to go to the burnt lands where he will easily answer your summons with the blessed torch there. The Gnome will also answer your call with this stone there as well" he finished.

"Do we have time?" Zechariah asked in doubt.

"If you are quick, you should be able to complete this task in no more than a day or two" Blackbull stated.

"Why don't we just send two big groups of warriors so we cover more ground faster?" Zechariah asked.

"Because the smaller your group is, the less chance of detection…but I will not lie, with that demon out there it will be dangerous" Blackbull explained.

"Good, when do we go?" a new voice replied getting everyone's attention. A young red haired girl with two braids stood in the doorway of the tent smiling.

"Ayan…you are weak, you wish to accompany Nora, Zechariah, and this fairy?" Blackbull almost said a bit patronizingly at first.

"Yes, I need to train, and this is a perfect opportunity to test out my new spear skills" she said with enthusiasm.

"Fine…" Blackbull coughed turning away from everyone hiding a smile. "So be it, get what you need to make haste right away, I need to go speak with Dances with Balrog" Blackbull said exiting quickly.

"Wait! I didn't say I was going!" Wing protested.

"Fine, then stay" Zechariah shrugged.

"Don't you want to help your friends?" Nora smiled.

"Um… yes, but you see…I'm a fairy, and we don't go out adventuring much, we stay to ourselves" Wing explained.

"Ah yes, but you're not in Ellinia now" Sophia pointed out.

"They could use your help" Arturo said seriously as Wing regarded his friends as they silently lay in a coma state.

"Fine!" he threw his hands up.

"Ok sis, meet me back here in fifteen minutes, I need to get my gear" Zechariah said dashing out the door.

"Me too" Ayan added disappearing as well.

Nora nodded taking her leave too. Wing perched at the end of Jeremy's cot.

"What have I gotten myself into?" he mumbled to himself.

"We need to keep this stuff brewed" Arturo said looking at the small cauldron just about empty.

"We only have enough ingredients to make enough for one more doze for each of them" Sophia said examining the amount of supplies they had. Wing sat at the end of the cot in contemplation until he fell asleep. Almost an hour went by until the trio returned. Zechariah and Nora both came back in full regalia. Nora wore an ivory shoulder mail and pants while Zechariah had a blue shoulder mail suit of armor. They both wore a majestic mithril crusader helm and a pair of expensive golden hildon boots.

"That's some nice armor you have" Arturo said admiring their gear.

"It wasn't cheap" Zechariah commented as he adjusted his belt carrying his red triangular shield on his back.

"Where's Ayan? It's late, we need to go before we lose the sunlight" Nora warned.

"Right behind you" Ayan whispered. Nora turned to see Ayan dressed in a full red shark armor which was chainmail fit for a woman with a padded red gambeson underneath. She wore no hat but her tribal headband and a feather, and she held her bamboo spear in her hand smiling bravely.

"Well, aren't you the war monger?" Sophia joked.

"No, I'm just ready to prove myself in battle. I want to wipe that smirk off of Blackbull's face" Ayan replied seriously.

"Impressive" Zechariah thought looking at Ayan's small petit frame. She stood just over five feet tall.

"How old are you?" Zechariah asked a bit nervously.

"I'm sixteen, now are we ready, we got some lives that need to be saved" she smiled widely.

"Wing! Time to go!" Ayan shouted.

"What!" Wing woke with a start almost falling off Jeremy's cot.

"Yes, your fairy magic may prove useful" Zechariah pointed out.

Arturo had a small sack and handed it to Zechariah. "May you return safely, take this" Zechariah reached for his wallet after taking the sack from Arturo.

"No money, just return back safely" Sophia assured.

"Some food and potions should you suffer any wounds in battle" Arturo reminded.

"Thanks Arturo, Sophia, may the Goddess' blessings be upon you" Nora said thankfully.

Without any more delay they made their way out of Perion as the town bustled with activity. By the time they reached the edge of town, the sun had already set and the moon was already trying to compensate the light that the sun had given. The horizon was a mixture of warm colors as the stars began to sparkle in the opposite direction. The crags and small peaks loomed in the distance with the cool breeze wafting from above.

"So where are we going first" Ayan asked.

"What do you think Nora?" Zechariah seemed indecisive. Nora thought for a moment as she scanned the area. Further to the north the Perion Range began to rise further in elevation to Mount Winter which was over six thousand feet. To the west lie the barren burnt lands.

"I think we should go pay the burnt lands a visit first since they are slightly closer" Zechariah and Ayan nodded.

"Brrrr.. it's cold in these mountains" Wing complained as the wind picked up slightly. Ayan reached in her backpack and pulled out a yellow scarf.

"Here wear this" she said wrapping it around him almost like a robe.

"That's better" he said poking his wings out so he could fly.

A couple hours passed uneventfully as they walked by shrines of fallen warriors and old abandoned encampments of the natives which consisted of ruined teepees, empty fire pits, and skulls of cattle area.

"There sure are a lot of graves around here" Wing commented.

"Yes, some fallen in battle, and others who lived to see a ripe old age" Ayan replied sagely.

"So when do you think you will be ready to go to El Nath?" Nora asked her brother. Zechariah shook his head caught off guard.

"Well, I really haven't thought about it, I need to return to Ereve first and speak with my master. I believe my rite of passage will be there in Ereve" he said evenly.

"It won't be too much longer and I'm about to make my way there to become a White Knight" Nora replied as Zechariah nodded scanning the area.

Ayan stopped suddenly noticing something odd. "Guys we have trouble ahead" she said brandishing her bamboo spear agilely.

"What is it?" she said quietly drawing her tiger blade which was fashioned like a large two handed katana. The blade seemed almost too big for Nora's size as she was only a few inches taller than Ayan.

Zechariah drew his Onyx blade out of its scabbard and readied his shield moving cautiously forward.

"Behind us! " Wing shouted as Zechariah turned around to see live stumps with sharp wooden fangs and yellow glowing eyes facing them.

Six three foot stumps that seemed to be demonized were quickly advancing with their one glowing yellow eye and their sharp looking fanged mouth which normal ones didn't have.

"Whoa! What's up with these guys?" Zechariah looked puzzled as Wing summoned a globe of light to illuminate the area.

"We have six on our side" Nora shouted.

"Good, three to one odds, I like that" Zechariah replied psyching himself up already calculating a move to take out the three in front of him.

"Stay close to me Ayan, we've never encountered these kinds of monstrosities" Nora said preparing her sword for a target.

"I will" she said eying them slowly advancing from the front realizing the only point she would be able to do any real damage.

"You ready?" Zechariah whispered.

"Not yet" Nora whispered as they maintained their defensive stance watching the enemy.


	9. The Secret Passage

**Chapter 9 – A SECRET PASSAGE **

Julien appeared in an alley in Kerning City without anyone taking any notice, even the shadows in the dark didn't seem to pay any attention. He wandered around the city as everyone else walked around watching each other suspiciously, that was the way it was in most of Kerning City. He noticed before he left the alley way a spray painted red hand was tagged on a side of a building, but he dismissed it as a lot of buildings had all kinds of graffiti which tagged many other places. Kerning City was the biggest town on Victoria Island and most modernized by everyone else's standards. Small cabs roamed the busy streets along with small scooters and small black limos. The streets were narrow and required high driving skills to be able to get around without getting into a pickle.

Everyone seemed to be making a beeline for the subway. Most were constantly going to Kerning Square to do their shopping in the business district. That was also where the richest folk of Kerning City lived. Then there were the multiple construction sites as Kerning was constantly expanding for its ever increasing population of migrant workers from different parts of the world. Then there was another destination which took them under the channel between the two islands. It was a continent like island called Masteria which had only been colonized within the last twenty years. The continent island was a mysterious place that attracted a lot of veteran adventurers going to explore the mysteriously haunted Crimson Wood.

He continued down the street watching car loads of people getting out of the cabs that were in operation at the subway while others were simply walking at a brisk pace. Kerning City's tall buildings cast their shadows and a haze seemed to hang over the city.

"Gees I love this place!" Julien laughed as he spotted his destination at the Jazz Bar in town which hasn't had any jazz musicians in quite some time.

Julien walked in the low key bar while a shifty young man was cleaning the counter with a few patrons enjoying a drink. Julien noticed a tacky curtain hanging in front of a small hole in the wall that had always been there but yet no one was allowed to go behind.

"Something for you Julien?" the young man smiled.

"Yea, I want a Kerning's Lager Greg" Julien's eye sparkled.

"Coming right up!" he said grabbing an ice cold mug.

Julien scanned the rest of the bar looking around at the faces he hadn't seen before, but he saw no one really of interest.

"So, what's been happening?" the short bartender said with a pencil thin beard. He wore a black shirt that said Jazz on it and wore a black toboggan.

"Doing another 'Non' paying job for my Elder" Julien said dryly.

"Again huh?" Greg laughed wiping down a cask.

"Something about investigating some freak things happening in Lith Harbor" he shook his head taking a nice long gulp.

"Where is Jaster?" Greg asked used to seeing the long red haired mage with him.

"He went to Perion with some really hot girl and one of the most annoying fairies in Ellinia" Julien shook his head.

"How long is that job supposed to take?" Greg asked as he discreetly refilled another customers mug full of beer.

"I dunno, but I hope it's not more than a few days…" Julien shrugged his shoulders taking another long sip.

"So is it a major job or is it something serious?" Greg interrogated.

"Serious…maybe, at least the priest in Lith Harbor says so…" Julien said dreamily chugging his lager.

"A priest?! I don't get involved with people of the cloth although they are nice to have around. Well tell me!" Greg said almost impatiently.

"I really can't tell you, it's that serious…at least that's what the Priest says" he answered emptying his mug.

"Yo! We'd like to get our drinks filled down here!" a patron said rudely.

"Yea, our glasses ain't goin'a fill themselves up!" a couple of youngster shouted at the end of the bar.

"Shut up nubs! You'll get it when I'm ready!" Greg growled at them. A couple of hoodlums had just walked in no older than eighteen, one a tall lanky boy with stringy blond hair wearing a leather coat, and the other a young black kid with a red hoody.

"One word" Greg said filling Julien's mug.

Julien went to reach for it, "Nah, give me a word" Gregg taunted.

"Balrog" Julien whispered.

"We want two beers!" the black kid with the red hoody demanded.

Greg's eyes widened in awe and he silently grabbed two more mugs and filled them and set them in front of you two wannabe thugs.

"Yo dude! This is ROOT beer, not BEER!" the kid in the red hoody said spitting out his drink.

"Yea, you'd better get us what we want" the lanky boy with the stringy blond hair grumbled.

Without warning two subi stars went flying past their heads and stuck in the wall missing them by a few inches.

"Yea, what are you going to do about it?" Greg said nonchalantly.

"This dude's crazy!" the boy in the red hoody accused. The other young man was still stunned by the action.

"Now, that will be four hundred mesos please" he smiled mockingly as the two youngsters quickly put their payment on the bar.

"Thank you, ENJOY your drink" he smiled again. The older patrons at the bar acknowledged the stunt with a chuckle.

"Is there treasure involved?" Greg whispered.

"Possibly… that's actually what I came to talk to you about" Julien finally revealed the reason for his visit.

"So you need a scout huh?" Greg narrowed his eyes turning Julien's lighthearted smile turned serious.

"This will be dangerous" Julien said seriously then ending with a smile.

Greg threw his hand up, "Danger is my middle name, don't you guys have any warriors with you?" the little guy questioned. Julien stood almost six inches taller than Greg.

"Not yet, I have a feeling that may have been a reason why Jaster went to Perion" Julien shrugged.

"How come you haven't asked your brother?" Greg asked a bit confused.

"Let's not talk about him right now, that's still a bad subject for me; besides, he's not a warrior, just a useless thief" Julien said plainly.

"Most of us here are thieves…" Greg raised his eyebrows pausing. "Fine, well listen, my shift ends in a couple of hours, so just hang loose until then" he said walking away to refill the other patron's mugs with beer.

"That's fine with me" Julien said taking a long drink.

A crowd shuffled their way in the bar and before too long the bar was full along with the eight tables scattered around the place with five high chairs around them. Neon signs and colored lights lit the place with an aura of color. The two younger men at the bar joined a couple of others at a table. One guy had a tattoo of a red hand on his arm, but Julien took another drink not thinking anything of it. Greg was running around the counter mixing and shaking drinks with ice and passing them out all over the bar. Julien was enjoying his little buzz until a younger woman showed up behind the bar with with a younger man.

"Ah! My relief" Greg smiled shaking a drink in a shaker.

"Yea, another day another meso" the guy replied about Julien's size with dark hair.

"Are you new here?" Julien smiled.

"Actually, no, this is my second week" the young woman shouted over the people as Greg and the other guy were busy making transactions.

"Really? I was just in here a couple days ago" Julien responded unable to make eye contact only about half way up.

The young woman had an hour glass frame with brunette hair and bright green eyes. She had a tattoo of a subi star on her shoulder. She wore a low cut black top and blue disco flared jeans.

"Nice Tatt you got there" Julient commented and the young girl only smiled before having to go to the end of the bar where the customers were coming up and waiting in line to order a drink.

"Greg the boss wants to see you down below" the young woman yelled across the bar.

Greg nodded acknowledging her, "Enjoy your pile-driver" Greg smiled disappearing into the back.

Julien's attention was focused on the young woman running around the bar.

"Hey bro" the other guy finally said getting in earshot of Julien. He looked away from the young woman just long enough to see who it was.

"Dude, don't talk to me!" Julien snapped. All the sudden Julien's buzz went away and he could feel his temper flaring up.

"You're still pissed I see…" his brother noticed. His brother stood the same height but only his eyes were more of a green than blue like Julien's.

"Um you might say that Andy" Julien said finishing his beer. "Dude, that was almost two months ago!" his brother exclaimed.

"I don't think you realize the trouble you caused me, Dad still thinks that shit you did stealing the cab and wrecking it was me" Julien replied sternly and Andy was silent.

"I had to basically pay over eighty thousand mesos, until you finally took over the paying for that guy's cab. Dad wouldn't speak to me for over a month—it's still fresh in my mind. I gotta go! You're ruining my buzz!" Julien stood up and walked out of the bar trying to keep his cool.

The streets seemed to be fairly calm with the sounds of scooters and cabs carrying people around town. Julien still couldn't find it in his heart to forgive his brother as he could not forget how his father was still furious with him for what his brother did. Julien was startled as he finally noticed a really quiet man leaning against the corner of the building wearing an oriental straw hat. He had a medium sized katara on his belt and a silver dagger on the opposite side. He watching everything around him while standing near guarding an alleyway.

"What's up man?" Julien greeted trying to not seem like he was being nosy.

The man turned his head slowly the other way and continued surveying the area ignoring him. Julien shrugged his shoulders, "Whatever…"

An hour passed by and his buzz began wearing off, "Shit Greg, hurry up!" he muttered to himself.

The other guy stood in his white ninja looking outfit like an owl perched up over everything scanning for its prey. Julien began to really get antsy as the sun began to set. He was about to go back inside the bar but luckily Greg popped out in a gray knuckle vest which was two leather studded straps with meshed leather under it, and had a pair of gray pants to match fashioned the same way with the studded leggings contrasted by a pair of black red lined boots. He sported a black bandana on his shaved head.

"Dude! We got to hurry! Can we get a cab or something?" Julien began freaking out. "The cabs quit leaving town after sunset, so we will have to find another way to get there" Greg said lighting a cigarette.

"Give me one?" Julien pleaded.

Greg handed him one and lit it and they both took a long puff and exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"Ok, so how are we going to get to Lith Harbor without walking?" Julien asked calmly.

"What about those scrolls you always have?" Greg asked taking another puff.

"Out" Julien inhaled.

Greg contemplated for a couple minutes while smoking, "I got it, wait here"

"Don't take too long—we either need to find some quick way or start walking now" The last half of the sentenced was lost to Greg as he was already back in the bar. He quickly made his way to the out of order bathroom stall and climbed down through the secret entrance. He quickly climbed down the ladder and knocked on his master's door.

"Dark Lord?" Greg whispered. The door opened by itself as the room was dimly lit and the Dark Lord hung upside down with his eyes closed.

"What is it Greg?" he asked almost as if he already knew.

"I need a favor master" The Dark Lord nodded.

"Go on…" the Dark Lord replied absently.

"My buddy and I need to get to Lith Harbor fast and…" Greg was cut off by his master's reply.

"…And you want to take the secret way through the connecting sewers to get there using one of my scooters?" he finished.

"Yes" Greg nodded.

The Dark Lord jumped down from his perch in his dark ninja uniform. His amber yellowish eyes were all Greg could see of his face in the dim light. He walked to a corner of his room where he had a couple of daggers stuck on the wall.

"Can you tell me why you need to get there so fast?" the Dark Lord narrowed his eyes.

"My friend has an issue concerning Balrogs, and that's all he would tell me" The Dark Lord paused for a moment and chuckled to himself.

"It's only been a few months since I had you tested to become an Assasin, and you're already talking of powerful demons?" Greg listened to his master's logic.

"There is a difference between heroism and plain stupidity" the Dark Lord continued.

"I really don't know what's going on, but my friend who is a mage asked for my help" Greg argued as the The Dark Lord paused again.

"Go get him" he whispered.

Greg agilely sped out of the room. Julien paced nervously outside. "I need you to come with me" Greg poked his head out the door.

"Why?" Julien threw up a hand.

"Don't ask questions, just follow me" Greg insisted. Julien quickly moved through the crowd as they finally disappeared into the bathroom with the out of order sign.

"Ok, so what do you need from me in the bathroom" Julien smiled awkwardly in a mock like fashion.

"Shuddup" he said opening the toilet seat cover climbing down the ladder in it.

"What the?! I'm not jumping in a shit pot!" Julien shook his head.

"Quit being a bitch and come on" Greg's voice echoed from the chamber below.

Julien reluctantly climbed down pulling his robes close to him afraid that fecal matter could be on the walls. Finally once he entered the lower chamber he realized it was all a disguise.

"Damn, you never told me you had a secret hide out under the bar" Julien laughed.

"I know, and don't go telling everyone…" Greg warned.

Greg led him into the Dark Lord's chamber as he sat Indian style in his boxing ring.

"Is this the mage you spoke of?" the Dark Lord asked not flinching an inch.

"Yes master" Greg nodded.

"So mage, what's all of this I hear about Balrogs?" Julien had heard of the Dark Lord before and knew that he was a person who almost never mingled with civilians; also, a rumor had it that he may be half demon. Julien didn't believe he was half demon, but then again he had never seen a half demon.

"I have an errand which my elder has sent me to do since Ellinia was attacked by Balrogs" Julien explained as the Dark Lord opened his eyes in intrigue.

"Yes, I know of the assault on Ellinia…So you're going to Lith Harbor to investigate why my sources have told me could be an even more powerful demon?" the Dark Lord asked.

"It is part of the Maple Pact we made, I'm only honoring what my Elder has asked me to do" Julien replied.

"So the two of you are going to investigate?" the Dark Lord chuckled again.

"No, I have two other associates waiting on me and I need to get back to them before dark" Julien corrected.

"More mages?" the Dark Lord almost said with a shameful tone.

"Yes and no…clerics…" Julien answered.

"Cleric, mage, all the same to me… you don't have the support of any warriors?" The Dark Lord asked a bit flabbergasted and Julien shook his head.

"Fine" he said tossing a dark claw with two gold colored stripes to Greg.

"A dark avarice? Thank you master" Greg nodded.

"You'll need it" he said walking to the wall turning three of the daggers attached until one of the walls gave way to a secret passage.

"Both of you should be able to fit on that scooter. I have business I must attend to. Take the southernmost passage and you should be in Lith Harbor very quickly. Don't linger in these sewers, who knows what denizens roam them" The Dark Lord warned as he threw a set of keys to Greg and they followed him into the dimly lit secret passage which led into the sewers.

The wall closed behind them, "Don't deviate, and good luck" the Dark Lord said as he jumped on the other scooter and quickly vanished into the darkness.

"Have you ever been down this way before?" Julien asked scanning the area warily.

"No" he answered starting the quiet motor of the scooter.

"Well get on and hold on tight!" Greg warned. Julien got on the back and held onto Greg as he throttled the motor, and within a moment they began quickly rocketing deep into the dark sewers. Julien felt his eyes water from the speed they moving down the long stretch. Luckily the light was powerful on the scooter which shone a couple hundred feet ahead. Julien held on to Greg's shoulder as they flew. The sewers were dark, dank, and smelly and to make matters worse they passed something that was huge. Julien glanced back and could only see a set of eyes as they sped ahead.

"What the fu-?!" Greg blurted out.

"That's exactly what I would like to know" the two of them said startled.

Julien looked back quickly and could see the reddish eyes were moving towards them, even at the speed they were going.

"Greg, we have a problem" Julien said nervously.

Greg glanced back, "Shit! Julien—steer and take that left up ahead" Greg turned around pulling out a handful of stars. The eyes continued to follow. Greg threw three stars getting a growl from the thing chasing them. As they continued to the left, light from some of the holes above revealed their pursuer.

It was a dire rat with huge teeth and claws. Its dingy, oily, gray matted fur was covered with open scabs and grotesque dried blood. Greg wrinkled his face in disgust and threw the other three stars this time getting a high shrill squeak from the giant rat. Its eyes began to glow again and it began moving faster trying to close the gap between them.

"Damn it!" Greg shouted.

The sewers began getting smaller. Greg grabbed three more stars and slung them furiously at the beast. The beast screamed in pain as Julien and Greg's ears began to ache from the piercing shrieks. The rat slowed down for just a moment.

"Shit, I can't handle the bike riding this fast in these corridors!" Julien complained as it become more treacherous to maneuver. Greg noticed how the corridor narrowed.

"What are you doing?!" Greg demanded turning around to take control of the scooter again.

"I can't drive this thing like you can" Julien snapped.

"We got a hungry rat wanting to make diner of both of us!" Greg gritted through his teeth as he said giving more power to the motor.

Julien grabbed on tighter as the corridors began to get smaller. Julien turned for a moment and saw two tentacles burst from the dire rat's back as they began reaching ahead of the grotesque monster. The rat shrieked louder and louder with a deafening sound.

"There's an exit ahead" Greg yelled.

"Great, now we can get the hell out of this dark place and escape!" Julien shouted.

They approached the end, and the circular exit led to a small ledge which had a small path that led to the left. Dead ahead was a cliff which the ocean waves smacked the rocks at the bottom. They quickly got off the scooter and moved it out of the exit. The creature was still shrieking at them as it raced towards them. Julien and Greg poked their head back to look behind and the creature still running strong.

"We can't let this thing follow us into the harbor" Julien said taking out his wand.

"I hope we know what we're doing" Greg took out a couple stars.

"Aim for its right eye, I will get its left eye… and don't miss or…" Greg said gravely.

Julien prepared to summon his flaming bird arrow and waited for Greg's signal. Greg aimed his stars carefully at the beast as he watched it zoom towards them.

"NOW!" Greg screamed as he let his star fly from his hand as Julien summoned his flame bird arrow as they zipped and each hit their mark.

"Bullseye!" Julien shouted as they moved out of the way.

The giant rat squealed loudly and chomped madly as it continued running blindly ahead with its tentacles feeling in every direction until it ran off the ledge falling sixty feet before smashing and bouncing off a jagged boulder then sinking beneath the sea. A few bubbles came to the surface then they stopped.

"Whew, that was a close one" Greg wiped his brow as he and Julien walked the scooter up an old dirt path until they came to the harbor. The sun was already half way set behind the horizon.

"Where we going?" Greg asked with a bit of exhaustion.

"To the chapel" Julien answered.

"You know the way, the scooter will get us there in a minute, you drive" Greg said getting on the back.

"Ok…" Julien took a second to start the motor. The seafaring people of Lith Harbor noticed the scooter suspiciously. The town's militia guards had their guns readied just in case. The people were very wary of strangers, especially after dusk. As they arrived at the chapel Julien noticed a scroll jammed in the door handle. He quickly jumped off the scooter to read it.

_Julien,_

_If you get this, wait here, we went to the cemetery to investigate. We should be back not too long after dark. Please just wait here._

_Father Shober_

Julien threw the scroll down and shook his head.

"They left without me! We got to go" Julien freaked out.

"Go where? We just got here?" Greg asked puzzled.

"To the cemetery, fire that scooter back up…shit!" Julien cursed himself.

"The cemetery?! What the hell!?" Greg exclaimed.

"No time to explain, just come!" Julien shook his head.

The scooter motor started for a moment and then died.

"It's out of juice" Greg sighed.

"Well, come on, we got to hoof it" Julien said leading the way.

"We can do more than that" Greg said making some signs with his hand and with a small green flash of symbols they were moving twice their speed.

On lookers watched nervously as they ran to the edge of town where the cemetery was. An old couple observed the young men as they rushed away.

"Guards!" the old lady shrieked. A guard dressed with a vest, a bandana, and a pair of cut jeans and boots came to her aid.

"Someone tell Olaf and Vikin we got a pair of fools going to off their deaths" she told one of the guardsmen. The sailor looking guard nodded with his pistol in his hand he dashed off. The sun began to disappear making way for the dark cold night.


	10. Unholy Night

**CHAPTER 10 - UNHOLY NIGHT**

The sun began setting as they stood there pondering what course of action to take next. They waited as long as they could wait for Julien hoping he would reappear.

"Such incompetence, just wait until I talk to the Elder about this" Kara ranted on.

Father Shober didn't know what to say or think as he watched the sun as it was beginning its descent above the horizon.

"We should have had Jaster come with us instead of Julien" Mason sighed.

"He is an Ice and Lightning Wizard…we need a Fire and Poison Wizard. I've seen it, you need strong lightning spells to affect this kind of undead; and, ice is quite ineffective against this type of undead. One Fire and Poison Wizard would be as effective as and Ice and Lightning Mage" Father Shober said quietly.

Mason and Kara shrugged with frustration, "Julien used to pull stunts like this when we were all studying the preliminary to magical and divine studies. I'm surprised he even made it as a magician with how lazy and amazingly irresponsible he is" Kara pointed out.

"I wonder how he was able to ace his magician's exam like he did?" Mason asked rhetorically.

"According to your elder Julien had the highest rank among his class of wizards" Father Shober mentioned.

"No way!" Kara blurted out in disbelief.

"Jaster did say Julien's magic was among the most potent of all the Fire/Poison Wizards of his class" Mason admitted.

"So you see, we do need him" Father Shober grabbed his holy beads he wore around his neck and begun praying to the Goddess.

Mason kept glancing at Father Shober noticeably suppressing his anger while Kara ranted.

"For the Goddess sake, Julien chose the worst time to be a fool" Kara complained grabbing her red braided pigtails.

"We don't need him" Mason shook his head.

"If it is undead we are dealing with, we would stand a much greater chance with our healing miracles than his fire arrows or poison blast" Mason said putting his arm around Kara.

Father Shober stroked his goatee and furrowed his brow trying to decide what to do.

"Fire is very useful as well, also you kids forget that his meditation skills amplifies our abilities to perform miracles" Kara and Mason both sighed in defeat. Mason, not as much as Kara, both hated to realize that Julien had a purpose for being with them.

"If only Jaster would have come with us instead, he is a much more dedicated wizard" Kara sighed again.

"Didn't you hear what Father Shober said? Jaster's spells wouldn't be much use" Mason reminded her.

Father Shober opened the door and walked back inside. Kara and Mason shrugged and followed him up to the altar as he knelt down in prayer below the Goddess shrine. Kara and Mason knelt beside him and both began praying. After thirty minutes of meditating and praying, the shrine began to glow a holy yellow light. Mason looked up as the shrine lit up. Suddenly an image of a majestic male angel dressed in white gleaming armor appeared with his hands together that he had never seen. Kara looked up and saw the angel as he spread his wings wide with his hands out.

"Stand Father Shober, Sister Kara, and Brother Mason… you must go to the cemetery now, a very evil presence is there and unless it is stopped this town shall perish. Only servants of our Goddess stand a chance against such evil…" the image slowly began to weaken and fade.

"What evil?" Mason asked with great concern.

"Is it a…vampire?" Kara asked.

"I haven't much time left, receive my angelic divine blessing our mother has gifted my fellow brethren… now go forth you must succeed, and remind everyone that the Goddess is still watching over her people" the angel said beginning to sound distant.

"Who or what is behind all of this" Father Shober suddenly asked.

"The one behind the evil is… Dhar…l…m…" after that, the voice broke and the image flickered and faded with the glowing yellow light. In that Instant, the doors swung open.

"Father Shober! We need you on the northern end of the town… Olaf, Vikin and the guardsmen are battling scores of zombie like creatures! We need you now!" A young man pleaded dressed like a sailor.

Kara ran up to him and saw bites and claw marks on his body. Father Shober walked up and held his hand out toward him and a bright warming green glow enveloped him mending all his wounds. Then Father Shober spread out his arms and spoke in the angelic tongue and an image of two white feathered wings opened allowing shiny drops of white dew to sprinkle over the young sailor. Almost instantly his condition recovered a hundred percent.

"Wow! That's the Dispel miracle that cures all disease!" Kara gawked.

"My first time actually witnessing this too" Mason agreed.

"The glory goes to the Goddess! We must not tarry any longer!" Father Shober said pushing both Kara and Mason out the door.

The young man was in his late twenties and was fairly stocky. He seemed to have more energy but he still didn't seem to be completely back to health.

"Father? Do they think the three of us have what it takes to stop whatever is waking these restless souls?" Mason felt a bit fear coming on.

Father Shober buried his face in his hands for a moment flustered, then disappeared to the back for a moment.

"Where's he going?! Don't get me wrong I feel much better and appreciate the help but we need you guys now!" the young man cried.

"Calm down, calm down…" Kara said trying to console him.

"Yes, what good would it be for us to go unprepared and add ourselves to the rank of the dead?" Mason reasoned.

The young man pulled his belt tighter and secured the bullets he had for his gun.

"We've not much time, if we don't get back our ranks may be completely diminished when we return" he said grimly.

Father Shober came back quickly with a small pouch taking out two sets of beads with a holy symbol on them. "Here, put these on, a Bishop in El Nath crafted these for me as a going away gift. They are blessed beads and will increase our powers of creation to protect those we must… now let us go" Father Shober quickly explained.

They quickly followed the young town watchman back to the northern part of the town where the dead were no longer resting. Fresh and old rotten corpses alike were digging their way out of the ground and waterlogged corpses were coming out of the ocean towards the graveyard. The majority of Lith Harbor's watchmen were competent gunslingers; but even for them, the scores of undead along with the stench were overwhelming. Some residents were fending for themselves with whatever weapons they could find.

"Hold your ground men! We can't let them in the town!" Olaf shouted.

Many residents were heading towards the western part of town hoping the watchmen could repel this undead invasion.

"It's the end! It's the end!" one crazy man cried as he ran.

The graveyard was pretty huge as some richer folks had mausoleums. There were only about twenty guys who were trying to keep the ranks out of the town. Vikin, Olaf, and Teo were fighting ferociously blasting and hacking off limbs of the undead. Mason and Kara had never actually seen corporeal undead creatures, and to them it was horribly frightening.

Father Shober put his hand on both of them, "Don't worry, neither of you have to go any further" he said sensing their fear. Mason took a deep breath and pulled out his jeweled mace that now shed a yellow light.

"No, the Goddess will grant us the power to turn away this evil" Mason almost growled.

Kara closed her eyes for moment holding tightly to her staff with both hands, "No, the Elder sent us here for this reason… if we pass this test we will be saving many lives, even if it means sacrificing our own" she finished opening her own as a breeze caught her flowing robe and long flowing red braided hair.

Father Shober only had a set of beads in his hand and a mace similar to that of Mason's only his had holy symbols etched in the hilt of it. "Father Shober!" a man shouted with a black beard.

"Stay close to me" he quickly joined Teo. Father Shober disappeared and then re-appeared a couple paces behind Teo.

There were over a hundred zombies shuffling around in the graveyard. The watchmen's casualties were swelling as they advanced closer into town. Kara and Mason kept within an arm's reach of each other behind Father Shober. Some Zombies had more decaying flesh whereas others were further along the decomposition process. Father Shober put his hands together with the beads he had and a bright light appeared causing handfuls of zombie that got too close to them to simply turn to dust in the wake of a powerful Shining Ray.

The watchmen and Olaf cheered as Father Shober continued praying and summoning angelic Shining Ray destroying the undead.

"Save your bullets" Teo told his group of gunslingers. He observed Father Shober alone destroy almost thirty zombies in less than five minutes. Kara was right behind Father Shober with a frightened face holding her staff in front of her chanting blessings as Mason brought the rear with his jeweled mace preparing healing miracles to any undead that got too close for comfort. Mason kept a serious face and let the fear turn into an adrenaline rush ready to expose the undead to holy healing and bash any zombie in the skull should it come to blows. As they walked further north in the graveyard, they approached the older headstones.

"We separate and finish these zombies off, both of you take the eastern side of the yard, and I will take the western" Father Shober ordered as a score remained on both sides.

"But Father, our powers…" Kara started.

"We have the angel's blessing on our side, your miracles should be sufficient in purifying this defiled hallow ground, no go" he disappeared in a flash of light.

"I can't wait to become a Priest" Mason smiled admiring the ease Father Shober had destroying the undead.

"You realize our powers have been amplified by an angel right?" Kara pointed out.

"So?" Mason shrugged.

"So, it's not going to last forever. I have a feeling we are being toyed with" Kara surmised.

Mason glanced as a group of undead began shuffling towards them moaning unearthly sounds while some vomited nasty runny vile as they slowly approached.

Mason took a dash forward and held up his jeweled mace several paces in front of them, "Oh Goddess, purify these lost souls and bring them back into the light" he shouted as the undead began moving quicker and moaning louder. The green light began illuminating around them slowing their movement.

Kara appeared next to Mason with her staff held high, "Goddess, please show these lost souls back to the light" she chanted calmly.

The zombies, one by one fell to the ground and stopped moving except one zombie.

"EEeeerrrrraaa…." The zombie growled as it began to move faster and faster towards them. Mason and Kara saw it and both began chanting louder. As it approached the green healing light seemed to only make it resist even more. Kara and Mason began stepping back trying to stay out of its reach until Kara summoned her holy arrows and began firing upon the animated corpse. It stopped and seemed to wince in pain. The zombie began to charge at them.

"Mason, we must attack it at the same time!" Kara shouted trying to hold back the sudden fear as this certain zombie began showing to be tougher than any of the previous zombies they encountered.

Mason summoned his holy arrows and prepared a shot, "One, two, three!" they both let a holy arrow fly both hitting it in the chest stopping its advance knocking it to the ground.

"Is it dead?" Kara asked looking at the bloodied corpse. Slowly they both approached it and Mason kicked it once. "Purify this lost soul Godde…" Kara started chanting and the zombie sprung back to life grabbing her foot pulling her to the ground.

"Mason help!" she clenched her teeth summoning all of her strength to keep the zombie from biting her.

"Ahhh!" Mason let out a primal scream and swung his mace hitting the zombie directly in the head as blood went spattering all over them. It still continued to move but turned to regard Mason as the bigger threat and Mason swung his jeweled mace again this time knocking its head clean off its shoulders with a critical blow.

Kara quickly got up regaining her composure, "Thanks, I owe you one."

Mason assessed the area as he noticed Vikin and a couple of town pirate guards were moving in to handle the remaining zombies. He saw another group of men joining Father Shober a hundred yards away. Both Kara and Mason looked at the mausoleum ahead and both nodded. "We'd better wait for Father Shober" Kara nodded.

Father Shober glanced over his shoulder and could see Mason and Kara were fine. He sighed in relief and quickly teleported back across the graveyard as Vikin and his men had just joined them.

"That mausoleum is where those tougher zombies seem to be coming from" Vikin said holding his pistol ready to blast any monster.

"Teo and Olaf are patrolling the beaches hunting down any stray zombies, I can accompany you there if you like."

"Of course, but do know this is going to be very dangerous, we cannot guarantee your safety" Father Shober said seriously.

"Who do you think you're talking to? You know the life I've lived at sea, come on, I will be protecting the lot of ya" Vikin laughed adjusting his eye patch.

"You guys stand outside and kill anything not human that dares show its face, understand?" Vikin announced.

"Yes sir!" they responded holding their pistols ready to fire at the first sign of any trouble. The mausoleum loomed behind them with its stone doors cracked as a slight draft escaped. The building was several yards wide and had a roof with faded blue shingles. The building looked like it could house a family of seven in the afterlife.

"Have you ever been inside?" Mason asked with trepidation.

"Nope, had no need nor any desire" Vikin said darkly.

"Who does it belong to?" Kara asked while she inspected the door.

" The MacGreavys I believe… former mayor's family long ago according John and his wife" Vikin replied.

"Let us continue, the longer we wait the stronger this evil becomes as day gives to night" Father Shober.

"Heheheheh…" a high pitched laugh sounded with a bit of an echo.

Everyone grabbed their weapons pointing them at the stone door as it slowly began to creak open.

"What was that?" Mason said holding his mace out in front of him.

"It sounded like, a little girl laughing" Kara said with confusion.

Vikin pulled the door open with a bit of effort, "What kind of devilry is this?" the seasoned pirate demanded.

Father Shober made a few gestures with his hand in front of Vikin, "May the Goddess be your protector" he whispered bestowing a blessing on him.

The inside of the mausoleum was pitch black and a feint stench of death wafted in the air.

"Oh goddess, give us light" Kara chanted and her staff illuminated a white light.

"Save your mana sister" Vikin said taking a lantern and a couple torches out of his back pack.

"He's right, we don't know what's beyond that door, your miracles need to be saved until we know what it is we are dealing with" Father Shober agreed.

Slowly they crept inside the tomb, all was quiet. Several caskets were in places in the walls with small placards naming the corpse placed. The place seemed like it had been undisturbed for quite some time.

"That's odd, there's nothing in here" Mason said as he inspected a coffin making sure it had not been disturbed. Kara noticed a small statue of an angel shattered in a corner and found the goddess' holy symbol defiled nearby.

"Blasphemers!" Kara muttered to herself.

Slowly they continued inspecting the tomb to no avail until they finally began to descend under the earth deeper in the mausoleum.

"I sense a darkness in this tomb, but there seems to be nothing here" Kara said walking to each corner.

Vikin put the lantern on the floor and began inspecting to see if the earth had recently been trampled. He quickly realized that a couple of the tiles were loose.

"Did you find something" Mason knelt beside Vikin.

"Yes, I knew there was more to this building, rich folk don't divulge their secrets…even in death, now give me a hand" Vikin demanded as they both removed a couple of tiles revealing a couple of loose wooden planks.

"I think we found what are looking for" Mason announced.

"Proceed with caution, there is great evil nearby" Father Shober warned.

"You mean outside?" Kara asked concerned about the people of Lith Harbor.

"Not so much, the watchmen have Teo and Olaf who are well traveled adventurers, they should be able to handle anything out there. The source of this evil is beneath this tomb" Father Shober replied as Vikin and Mason removed the last of the wooden planks revealing a small passage four feet long and three feet wide.

"It' dark down there and I can't see very far" Mason said trying to shine his torch in the hole.

"Drop your torch in the hole" Vikin instructed Mason.

Mason dropped the torch and it hit the ground seven feet below the floor only revealing an earthen ground as the light dimly lit the surroundings. Before anyone could do anything Vikin jumped down. "Vikin!" Mason yelled.

Vikin stood up with his pistol in hand and again, a little girl could be heard laughing.

"Hey! You! Come here!" Vikin shouted picking up the torch and ran out of Mason's view.

"What's he doing?!" Kara demanded. Mason began to hang to jump down.

"Mason, wait" Father Shober tried to stop him but it was too late, Mason had already jumped down but his landing wasn't as good as Vikin's.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed as he thudded on the ground.

"Are you ok?" Kara looked down.

"Yea, my foot is just a bit sore, but I will be fine" he said rubbing it.

"Vikin! Come back" Mason yelled down the corridor as he could see the feint torch light up in the distance moving ahead until it disappeared around a corner.

Father Shober slowly climbed into the hole and dropped onto his feet. Mason found a step ladder in the corner against the wall. "Here Kara, you can climb down this ladder" he said handing the top of the ladder to Kara. "Thanks, I don't like jumping from high places" she said positioning the ladder carefully then slowly climbed down. "Vikin!" Mason shouted again this time his voice echoing all the way down the corridor a few times.

"So much for the element of surprise" Kara glared holding her torch out.

"Enough you two, now close behind me" Father Shober cautiously led them down the corridor over fifty yards as the stone walls snaked to the left and then to the right. As they turned the corner, a chamber opened up as a little girl with long blond hair dressed in a long red velvet dress and a pair of black shiny shoes, sat on top of an old coffin with candelabras around it which dimly lit the room. A couple of other empty coffins lie nearby. Vikin stood still holding the torch in one hand and his pistol in the other with his eyes glazed not moving.

"Oh, hello there, you come to play with me too?" the little girl greeted smiled. Kara looked around the room and could see a path continued further down the corridor.

"Vikin" Mason said walking up to him. Kara ran to go grab Mason as Vikin turned around dropping the torch and pistol grabbing both Mason and Kara by the throat.

"Play for me" the little girl laughed. Vikin's eyes seemed vacant.

"Vikin.. no…" Mason choked. Kara could only grab Vikin's strong hand with both of hers as she struggled to release his grasp. Father Shober regarded the little girl's extremely pale skin and her inhuman eyes.

Father Shober held out his beads, "Oh great goddess dispel this evil" his beads reacted with a golden light which spread out like a pair of angelic wings creating a sonic boom behind him.

"Aaiiieeee!" the little girl screamed.

Her pretty fade facade began to melt as her face began to take a more hideous look. Two more figures emerged from the shadow dressed in suits.

Father Shober reacted, "Oh holy Goddess, throw off these false garments and reveal their true forms" a bright angelic light lit the room knocking the girl off the coffin and sent the other two figures back a few steps as they shielded themselves from the brightness of the Shining Ray. Vikin began blinking and slowly let go of Mason and Kara as they began trying to catch their breath coughing.

"What am I doing?" he looked around confused.

"Get *cough cough* your gun" Mason choked out.

Vikin quickly began looking around and on the ground as he shielded his eyes from the extreme light of Father Shober's miracle. The two figures had a demonic looking face as their bright red eyes and inch long fangs were revealed. A man and a woman dressed as if they were at their wedding smiled revealing their clawed hands.

"How dare you walk in uninvited to our house!" the bridal looking figure said dressed in a long white gown.

"Death is the price for trespassing mortals" the groom growled barring his fangs.

Vikin grabbed his pistol and fired two shots at the groom jolting him twice. The groom looked down at his chest with two bullet wounds and looked up licking his lips. In a blink of an eye the bride and groom attacked Father Shober and Vikin. The groom wrestled the pistol out of Vikin's hand dropping it and tried to bite his neck. The bride moved so fast that she could barely be seen moving towards Father Shober. He barely had enough time to have his holy beads up. "I rebuke thee demon, go back to nether world from which thou came!"

The bride stopped a couple feet in front of him hissing. "Goddess, purify this lost soul" Mason chanted as a dim green light began to envelope the groom making him wince slightly. "Ah, a cleric of the goddess" the groom stopped momentarily to regard Mason.

"Goddess, allow me to smite this evil with your righteousness" Kara said summoning a holy arrow sending it glistening across the room as it hit the groom in the head. The groom looked up with his red eyes glowing in agitation at Kara.

"Another damned cleric! The darkness shall claim a big victory this day" he growled. Vikin struggled with the groom's iron grip but was able to break free once Kara hit it with one of her holy arrows.

"Where is your master foul being" Father Shober demanded.

"You will know when it finds you mortal" she hissed.

Father Shober immediately summoned another bright blast of angelic Shining Ray knocking both bride and groom back a few feet.

"Servants, come and feast on their flesh!" the bride said throwing down a couple of black orbs. A dark haze filled the room as it began taking multiple forms of humanoids. When the haze cleared the room was filled with ten zombies.

"Father, be careful, these zombies are different from the other ones" Mason warned.

"Yes, I know" He said summoning another bright blast of angelic Shining Ray making the three undead trio retreat a few more feet as they were behind this group of zombies. Once they became aware they all charged right as Vikin reclaimed his pistol again.

"Oh no! There's too many of them!" Kara shouted.

Vikin charged his pistol and shot a loud discharge allowing him to jump back several feet. The blast knocked one zombie back four. It growled as it and the other prepared to overwhelm the small group. Father Shober crossed his arms with his beads in hand, "Oh holy Goddess protect that with thy Holy Shell which seeks to bring justice to the darkness!" A bright golden light began to expand around each member of the party keeping the powerful zombies from getting closer than arm's length.

"Damn that Priest!" the little girl screamed.

"These are not the people talking" Father Shober explained.

"Prepare your best offense, we will only get one chance, my holy shell will only last a few more seconds" Father Shober warned.

Vikin growled with rage and charged firing blank shots which jolted three of the zombies. Then to everyone's amazement, he did a somersault in mid-air kicking one zombie in the chin knocking it back into two others.

Kara and Mason began chanting together as warm green light began enveloping all of the zombies. The zombies growled loudly as they impatiently waited to be able to counter. Father Shober joined in the chanting as the green light became brighter this time causing the zombies to groan louder as they hopped madly around. The shell began to phase out.

"Now, our turn!" the groom shouted in glee.

"I don't think so!" a familiar voice shouted.

The three zombies looked to their left behind the other zombies and could see two other figures. One figure had a wand trained over the candelabra.

"Flame Bird! Come forth and consume these wretches!" Juliens voice shouted echoing, and to their horror a huge flaming bird appeared strengthened by the candle flames flaming across the room catching all in its wake on fire.

"NOOO!" the three figures screamed.

"Julien!" Mason shouted with excitement. The groom quickly zoomed across the room towards the new threat.

"Cover me Greg!" Julien shouted seeing he was the next target.

Greg jumped in front as the groom snatched Greg by his collar picking him up. Greg whipped out a dagger and quickly stabbed him twice with his left hand and then quickly clawed his throat and jaw with his claw. The groom dropped him.

"Oh spirits of mysteries grant us strength!" Julien shouted as a greenish yellow light quickly took shape in that of a tree illuminating his allies.

"Father Shober, do your most powerful attack now!" Mason shouted.

Father Shober didn't question this new turn of fortune as he summoned his ray of angelic light which knocked the zombies to their knees with Julien's stacked focused power as Kara and Mason chanted their healing miracles which finished them off into small piles of ash. The bride zoomed over to Julien grabbing him for a bite but three loud blasts came from behind her causing her to losen her grip as three bullet wounds appeared in her chest. The little girl began hurling multiple daggers across the room with speed a normal little girl could not accomplish. Two daggers unfortunately hit their mark. One hit Vikin in the leg, and the other hit Father Shober in the shoulder. They both grimaced in pain.

"Oh Goddess, bless our allies with your touch" Kara ran over to Julien and Greg as golden warm light briefly shone on them. Julien turned his attention to the little girl and summoned another flame arrow scorching her hair and dress as she screamed inhumanly. The trio of vampires regrouped for one last attack as they began to charge at everyone.

"Everyone! Attack now with all you've got!" Father Shober shouted ignoring the pain in his shoulder.

Julien raised his wand hand high in an arc creating a huge crescent moon of pink energy in the wake as three magic claws viciously dug into each of the vampires preventing their advancement. Greg threw one star that he had not used and quietly made a symbolic gesture. The shuriken suddenly glowed a bright orange-red before exploding in front of the vampires distracting them for just a moment. Kara and Mason both summoned holy arrows as they each split in three directions hitting each vampire twice.

"Hit the deck everyone" Vikin cried.

Everyone backed up several paces as he threw a grenade which landed several paces behind the vampire trio exploding knocking them forward a few feet.

Father Shober stood back up, "Now go back to the hell from whence thou came" he yelled summoning an extremely bright Shining Ray causing all three vampires to scream so loud everyone else had to cover their ears. The vampires fell to their knees as they disintegrated into ash.

"Yes! We did it!" Kara smiled.

"No, I still sense a great evil" Father Shober slowly walked down the corridor that led further.

"Father wait" Kara said running up holding her hand above his wound chanting mending his wound.

"Thanks Kara" Father Shober smiled a bit tired from that powerful miracle.

Mason walked over to Vikin and mended his leg wound.

"Thanks son, let's see what other monstrosities lurk down here" Vikin said holding his pistol tightly.

"Where did you go Julien?" Kara demanded.

"I made it, didn't I? So don't worry about it" he said nonchalantly.

"We could have all died" Kara stressed.

"But you didn't" Julien pointed out.

"Enough!" Father Shober clapped as he turned back around leading them down the corridor as a dark purple light glowed from a huge orb floating in the back.

"This is the source of dark energy, it must be destroyed" Father Shober declared.

"Wait Father Shober" Julien warned.

"What is it?" the Priest listened to the wizard.

Julien walked to examine the orb. "This is an energy orb" Julien replied.

"So we already know that" Mason laughed.

"No, this orb has more energy in it than normal ones have. Destroying it causes it to discharge all energy it possesses creating an explosion, so unless we have a quick exit, the explosion will most likely kill us all" Julien finished.

Father Shober smiled, "The Goddess will allow our escape" Father Shober chanted quietly for a moment pulling out a small purplish rock and a rift in the air opened.

"Everyone but Kara and Mason go ahead of us, we will destroy the orb.

"Are you sure? You only have a few seconds after you bombard it with the power of holy" Julien asked feeling that this was his area of expertise.

"Our powers will be more effective against it since it is pure evil" Mason replied and Julien nodded as he, Greg, and Vikin walked through the rift.

"One of each of our Holy Arrows should do it. Once we fire, we step through the rift immediately" Father Shober instructed. Kara and Mason nodded as they all looked at the dark orb as it pulsated with dark energy. Each fired one holy arrow at the orb hitting it making a crack which began spreading across the orb.

"Now go!" Father Shober shouted. They all jumped through the rift and appeared at the edge of town.

A few moments later a loud explosion could be heard towards the graveyard.

"So that's the end of that?" Greg asked Julien.

"No" Kara nodded sadly.

"A ship was in the harbor, those were just minions…" Mason informed them.

"This just shows me I need to get back into training again" Vikin said adjusting his pistol.

"I need to go tell the others what happened" Vikin said sprinting off.

"You think there are more of those things?" Greg asked.

"I don't think, I know…this is only the beginning…" Father Shober sighed.

They all could see the flames in the graveyard as they shot up in a dark purplish glow, and then began to die down to a normal flame color. The clouds reflected the hellish light back down on Lith Harbor as the rain began to fall and extinguish the rest of the flames.


End file.
